


Give Me Back My Mind!

by BluBooThalassophile



Series: HfaB Universe [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types, Under the Red Hood, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bat Family, Brothers, Friendship, Gen, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Not Canon Compliant, Sibling Bonding, Suspense, Team Bonding, Teamwork, Unlikely Bonds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-10-01 14:04:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 128,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10191596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluBooThalassophile/pseuds/BluBooThalassophile
Summary: There's a reason people do not enter Raven's room, aside from it being her space. Red X was unaware of this when he was contracted to acquire a few magical items. Now Raven's after him, with the help of Robin.





	1. Perfect Days and a Slice

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> New here, trying something new out.  
> This is also available on my:  
> -fanfiction  
> -Wattpad  
> -Inkitt  
> -tumblr  
> BluBooThalassophile  
> Enjoy! =)

At nineteen Raven was very shocked to still be alive; not that she had thought she was going to die or drop dead at any second, it was just a shock because she hadn't ever expected to live past fourteen. After the disaster with her father, Trigon, she wasn't expecting to live her life.

However, here the Gem of Scath was celebrating her nineteenth birthday, in a garage no less, as she read in the corner and helped Cyborg with his latest project.

Raven found herself spending a lot of time in the garage to avoid the noise of the upper levels, besides, she liked Cyborg's company; he was like a big brother.

Since the start of last year Richard Grayson and had decided he would help expand the Teen Titans, true there were the Titans East, Titans North, Titans West, and Titans South. And while their Teen Titans organization was not small by any means, but Dick felt there was a change in order. True the Teen Titans were all about heroics still, and they weren't changing what they were doing, but Starfire and Dick had decided that the Teen Titans could be better applied as teachers instead of the Justice League taking on that task.

Raven saw the logic in it, there were many young children out there who were gaining abilities and many adults who wished to exploit them. By offering these children a home they could safely learn their abilities and their powers without fear of falling apart or being taken advantage of, like Terra had been. Also, by being with the Teen Titans, their Justice League mentors weren't there to hold them back or hinder their growth.

Yes, Raven saw much of the logic in this.

However, what she did not see the logic in was the group of young teens she was now in charge of because of Dick and Star!

Which was also another part of the reason she was hiding out in the garage.

Dick, now Nightwing, had assigned her to the mentoring of his younger brother; Damian Wayne, and while Tim Drake; now Red Robin, and Richard Grayson thought of this being a brilliant idea, Raven could only say that they were insane. Their logic being that perhaps a half-demon could teach their demon-like little brother how to be a little more human. Needless to say, Raven felt she had somehow drawn the short straw in this arrangement.

Not that Damian was a bad child, he just was… intense, foul tempered, pragmatic, cold, prying, annoying, demanding, disrespectful, and arrogant.

There were times she was exceedingly tempted to send him to another dimension, but she didn't.

Also assigned to her group was Blue Beetle, a.k.a. Jaime Reyes, a young man with peculiar armor which Star thought she could help him learn about because it was from some unknown dimension or something. Honestly, she had stopped listening as Star suckered her into taking on that kid too. He was a kind boy, sweet, but him and Beast Boy could go all day and there were times she wanted silence; neither was good at that.

And then there was Terra; Raven had researched, and researched; desperately seeking a way to reverse Terra's 'condition' so as to make Beast Boy happy again. Raven had accidentally found the reversal, and Terra had come back to the Titans. The only condition (one which was enforced, against Raven's will, and shoved upon her by the other founding Titans) was that she be the one to teach Terra. Strangely Beast Boy was the one to make this demand, and both Robins, and Starfire, and Cyborg thought it was a good idea; Raven felt it was a terrible idea because despite it being a half a year since Terra's revival, she didn't trust Terra. Terra had been revived at the original age she'd been encased in stone, and Raven really despised the now sixteen year old.

Raven had asked Cyborg to be her second in command, mostly because he had the most patient, and he would help her keep calm. If she had one person on her team who knew her limits then she wasn't likely to lose control or strangle any of the infuriating teens.

Which brought her to hiding in the garage.

"Socket Wrench Rae," Cyborg ordered from beneath the car, she levitated it to him. "Aren't you supposed to train the kids today?"

"Nope," she answered.

"Oh really,"

"Beast Boy took Terra on a date, Dick and Tim took Damian to a Wayne Enterprise function, Star and Beetle went to the Titans East to consult with Bumblebee about his armor. Today is my day off," she answered.

"And you're spending it with me in the garage!" Cyborg grinned. "I'm touched."

"I felt it was safe to hide elsewhere beside my room," she shrugged as she looked up from her book.

"And I know you don't like making a big deal of your birthday, but check the top drawer of my tool box," Cyborg instructed her. curious Raven lowered her feet to the ground as she walked over to the drawer and opened it. Her eyes widening when she saw it.

"That's the one you wanted, right?" he appeared behind her grinning and she chuckled then.

"Yes, thank you Cyborg," and she picked up the old magic book she'd been searching for before turning to him with a small smile. He really was like her big brother, and she loved having that feeling at times.

"Great! You would not believe how hard that was for Beast Boy and I to find, Zatanna kept trying to take it first," he stated.

Raven frowned at that information but said nothing about this. It was very clear to Raven that Zatanna was never going to trust or like her and while that was a good thought, Raven went to great lengths to ignore and avoid the Justice League magician. Ever since Zatanna had found out about her, Raven's life had gotten harder, and if it wasn't for the fact that Nightwing, and Red Robin were backing her, which brought the support of the entire Bat clan, and her original Team, she had no doubts Superman would have pitched her ass into the sun and never looked back.

Not a pleasant reality for her.

But she couldn't blame the world, she had an interdimensional demon for a father, and he was hellbent on destroying the worlds he could touch, and she was his portal. 'Was' being the operative word here, but no one seemed to dwell on the was part of this statement.

"This is the one I wanted," she smiled.

"Good, now, can you lift the engine, and we'll put it in," he asked. She smirked a bit as she lifted her hand and used her powers to help Cyborg build his latest toy.

The alarm signaled then as she put the engine down.

"Time to get to work," Cyborg chuckled as he got up and she created a portal for them as they went up to the mainframe for the alarm.

It was a nice quiet day, even with trouble, and Raven liked it.

* * *

To be clear he was a contractor, he acquired the goods he was contracted to collect, and as he sat there with his current upstanding client he blinked dumbly behind his mask as he assessed the black-haired woman.

"You want what?" he repeated, he just wanted to make certain he had heard the 'where' of what he was stealing correctly. It wasn't that this would be a difficult job, but rather that it wasn't going to be easy and he wanted to make certain about this before he did it.

"I need you to steal this book from the Teen Titan, Raven," the woman informed him as she slid the picture of the book back to him. Behind his mask he was smirking a bit, at the challenge of all this. "It's in her room, or so I'm told, I'm certain that it will be in Titan's tower either way."

"Why don't you just ask her for it, you're a League member." He pointed out the obvious to the woman who rolled her eyes then. The young woman seemed to think he was missing the obvious; he wasn't, and if he wasn't being paid an astronomical amount he'd take it just to fuck with the Bird Brain Trio, and he'd enjoy every second of it.

But that wasn't his problem with the job.

No, his problem was that he was being contracted by a member of the Justice League to do this job and the implications of what that could hold for him weren't good. They weren't bad either, but they weren't good.

"That demon spawn cannot have that book, retrieve it before she can use it and you're paid well, where's your problem!?" the woman snapped.

"No problem, princess, just wondering why you don't just ask for it," he said.

"Because she's a demon's spawn!"

"Fine, fine, half the payment now, and half on completion and we walk away. Set me up or double cross me and you'll deal with the other guy," he informed her as he grinned behind the skull mask.

The woman waved her hand and pulled out a tablet. Until he heard the ding from his account he didn't move, once he checked the numbers he smirked.

"Pleasure doing business with you," he nodded and then pressed a button on his belt which had him teleporting as he landed lightly next to his bike and straddled it. Revving the engine he blasted through the city and checked for a tail, just in case.

Once he was sure it was safe he took his bike to his back up hideout and sat back before pulling off his mask and smirked.

Raven.

He hadn't thought about her or the Teen Titans in nearly three years.

Oh, he'd had fun messing with the Bat family in different ways over these past few years. He loved driving them up the wall; seriously, all of them were wound so fucking tight he didn't know how they hadn't snapped already. Especially the new Boy Blunder. Though he had to admit the new kid had serious skills and knew how to use that sword.

Smirking he pulled off the Red-X mask and then stripped before changing into civilian clothes and taking the other bike out the other entrance he could use and zipping through the city.

Pulling up to his apartment he slid off the bike and jogged up the stairs.

He was slipping at times, he could feel it when he felt the manic fill him, and he resisted the craving to laugh and go on a rampage. It wouldn't do to draw attention to himself.

Not after having successfully escaping his second death.

Grabbing a beer from his fridge he thought the job over, he could do it, it was easy money. The Titan's security was a joke.

Besides, 'Sunshine' would be thrilled to see him again. A smirk tugged at his lips as he remembered the quiet, dark, monotonous Titan. The tabloids had dubbed her the Ice Queen, he felt they were so wrong about that analysis that it was amusing. The Raven he knew was a terror to meet, she had Dr. Light voluntarily going to jail when she showed up. Granted Dr. Light was not the brightest guy in the criminal underworld, but the point was, if she could have bad guys willingly, and voluntarily going to jail; even if they were idiots; she was someone to feared.

The thrill of going toe to toe with her was something he was actually looking forward too.

And he didn't care about the item in question, he was actually kind of looking forward to a fight with the Titans, he'd been off the radar too long. This could be fun.

Sipping his beer he fell on the couch and grabbed his computer before he started hacking into the Titan's Tower again.


	2. Curious Red Birds

Raven walked to the Tower, what was left of the pizza was currently in Cyborg's hand as he tried to fill her in on the inner workings of football. After their take down of Plasmus, she had decided to indulge her friend's observations of a nice day, grab a slice and hang at the park.

"Have a good day you two?" a voice asked which had her turning to look at Nightwing. She wasn't shocked to see him, no, she'd sensed Dick's presence before they'd even made it to the tower.

"It's been interesting," Raven deduced. "How was the event?"

"Good, Damian didn't kill anyone," Dick grinned as Cyborg waved her off, she sighed; this was not her day.

"What is it?" she asked bluntly as they started walking to his quarters.

"Raven…" he started.

"We have a bond, I can sense that there's something bothering you," she dismissed.

She had also known Dick since she was thirteen. Strange, it was hard to think that six years ago, Dick had formed the Teen Titans after his brother Jason's death, and assumed the mantle of Robin again so that Tim couldn't. She had always found Dick's motives for this strange, but she wasn't really willing to delve into what drove the Boy Wonder to try to keep his younger adopted sibling away from what had become a family tradition of sorts. And besides, Tim had barreled right into the role of Robin the moment Dick had outgrown the role, so she didn't think Dick's plan had worked.

And it really hadn't stopped Damian. Damian had declared himself Robin and no one had successfully stopped him.

"It's just… Bruce said something today," he sighed as they walked into his quarters and he fell back on his couch. Raven just waited patiently.

"The Lazarus Pit, it's been… synthesized," he said calmly.

"By whom?" she demanded. The Lazarus Pit was not something she'd toy with; even with her particular heritage. She also knew about it's connection to her father's dimension so it was something she'd really rather not deal with.

"Some project, Project Cadmus was what Bruce said, I'm taking Kid Flash to investigate that this week," he explained.

"That is not what's bothering you," she said as she sat in the air with her legs crossed.

"No, Bruce lied to me," Dick hissed as he glared at her through his optic lenses.

"About what?"

"Project Cadmus, is an unknown, and if it's on his radar it's serious, but they aren't messing with the Lazarus Pit, Damian said it was a former member of the League of Shadows, it's Slade; Raven, it's Slade," Dick growled and she sighed.

"We knew he wasn't dead," she pointed out dryly. However, Raven understood Dick's unhappiness about his mentor lying to him, and Slade being up to his old tricks, and being pulled off the project to look into a Project Cadmus. "And why do you believe Damian over Bruce?"

"Damian can't lie to save his life," Dick stated blandly.

Raven didn't bother to disagree or agree as she stood then.

"Whatever the reasons, and whatever you decide, I trust you, as do Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, you're not alone Nightwing," she said in a flat voice. _**BOOM!**_

" _ **AAAAAHHHHHH!**_ "

Raven sighed, back to babysitting.

"I'm going to go now…" Dick informed her.

"I hate you," she stated flatly as she turned on heel to leave him and walked to the training room where the explosion had come from to find Damian and Tim in a fight; Damian was winning.

"Take it back!" Damian shouted.

"Get off you demon spawn!" Tim shouted.

Raven's power slid through her blood as it came to her hands and she flicked out her fingers as the magic burst from her, wrapping around Damian and Tim as she forcefully yanked them apart, both hit perspective walls with a thud.

"Enough," she snapped, Damian glared at her, and Tim just looked relieved.

"Good luck with him today," Tim spat out as he stalked passed her and Damian lunged. Raven's shadows wrapped around him as she threw him back into a training matt, the boy glared at her.

"He started it!" Damian defended.

"I do not care," she stated icily. Damian stood up as he brushed himself off then, she reached out as she collected his sword and levitated it to him, holding it just out of his reach. "If I give this to you so you can practice, are you going to go kill Tim?" she asked.

"No," he grounded out, she sensed the sincerity in his intentions as she dropped the weapon in his grasp and then she walked to the panel to program a random simulation for him. The boy took up stance at the simulation deck as he held his weapon of choice up.

Raven meditated in the corner, levitating as she focused on the boy's emotions, familiarizing herself with her charge's signature. Her eyes fluttered open when she sensed his emotions settle at last.

"Why do they trust you so fully?" Damian demanded.

"Who trust me?" she asked as she stood, her feet gracing the ground as the boy, not much shorter than herself stalked up to glare at her.

"My brothers? I looked at your file last night, there's nothing there, so why are you in charge of Titan training? Justice League wouldn't accept your application?" Damian asked in curiosity and Raven blinked.

"Perhaps, there is nothing in my file you need to know about," she shrugged. As she heard the alarm signaling the return of Starfire and Blue Beetle. Walking out of the room she walked down the stairs to the main living area where Cyborg was cooking.

"They still don't know what it is," the boy grouched as he sat at the counter.

"Bumblebee's contacts did not discover anything new," Starfire said and Damian took up a perch close to her as she sat at the counter.

"I'm telling you that the thing ain't mechanical," Cyborg huffed as he continued his cooking.

"Is it perhaps of another world?" Starfire asked.

"I don't think so," Jaime shook his head.

"Rae, could it be in one of your books?" Cyborg asked.

"I will look," she nodded. Raven did not think that Jaime's armor was magical, but she was willing to look if only for them to gain a basic understand of Jaime's armor. "Perhaps you should talk to Dr. Fate about it. If it is magical he'd have the most information."

"Let's just look in your books first Rae," Cyborg said dryly. She caught the undercurrent in his tone and she nodded.

The last recruit the Titans had gone to the League to for help had left them all the way for an undercover mission for the League. Raven understood why Cyborg was reluctant to go to the League after having that happen to them. She didn't want the boy taken either.

"Do you think it's magical?" Jaime asked hope filling his voice.

"I will look now," she nodded before she heard the alarm signaling the return of Beast Boy and Terra.

Raven quickly stood to leave before she had to argue with Terra or Beast Boy. Her emotions got dangerously out of hand when she had to deal with both and the thick, light feelings of love bouncing off them in waves. Raven wouldn't say she was jealous, no, she wasn't, she just couldn't handle the bouncy emotions they had for one another and it was suffocating.

A lot had happened, a lot had changed, but not her.

Raven was still the creepy, gloomy, single Titan. And she was perfectly alright with that.

However, the moment she was in the room with the couples she was ruthlessly bombarded by all the warm and fluffy feelings that people couldn't keep to themselves and it messed with her head. She didn't like having her head messed or her emotions bombarded by everyone else's and she really didn't like other's lust messing with her. It threw her off her game.

So, she often times found herself hanging out with the team she was in charge of, her friends separately, or alone.

She was happy for her friends though. Cyborg was really happy with Bumblebee and their long-distance thing worked. Dick had some weird love triangle thing going between Barbara Gordon, himself and Starfire (and though Raven tried to stay out of that; galaxies away out of it, she always sided with Starfire should she be dragged into the fights or boy bashing or whatever), but Dick was usually happier with Star so they were a more steady thing in this triangle. And Beast Boy had Terra again, which he always thanked her for. Yes, she was happy for her friends, but the moment they were with their perspective others… she really couldn't handle the emotions which would bombard her and it drove her nuts so she left most the time.

And if Kid Flash and Jinx were in the Tower, Raven had to remove herself from their presence before their lust drowned her. Seriously, there were times she wanted to just shove her coupled friends into a room and shout get it over with so she could have some peace.

But she didn't.

Walking into her room Raven paused for a moment as she looked over her belongs, the magic pulsing through the room revealed that no one had entered her room, and she moved forward.

Raven's 'gloomy' or 'gothic' decorations wasn't a taste, in truth she wasn't this… dark, but most of the magic relics she possessed were of this style, and very powerful. She had locked up a few in other dimensions when Dick and Star had turned their Tower into a school for powered kids. In the beginning, there'd been a running dare to the new kids to enter her room, which had led to Raven laying down runes about her room to keep the kids out. Then there'd been the ultimate test, if they could even get in her room and after the Aqualad incident, the one where Garth accidentally got sucked into another dimension of one of her books, she had decided that she'd need to keep her more powerful books and relics kept in another dimension.

Actually, she'd put most of the dangerous stuff in her mirror, Nevermore, which was hidden in another book at the moment. The book which held her mind; so to speak, was a book of Azarath, the last relic of her home dimension, it was also a book of very powerful Light Magic she was trying to learn. But with her heritage and her natural connection with her for Dark Magic it was difficult, not impossible as she was slowly furthering her mastery of healing magic, but it was still a challenge. Much of what she was, and what she was capable of, was because of her demon side and demon heritage, but her human side and her human abilities were something she was slowly exploring.

She'd spent so much time being a demon, being feared, and learning to contain her darkness and to control it, that she hadn't ever stopped to wonder about her human side.

At least, she hadn't until about a year ago, when she had an encounter with Dr. Fate. Zatanna and Zatara had not liked her working with them on that mission, but it was really only by flux that she had been dragged into a fight with the magicians and their opponent; Circe. Circe had thought to blast her with a spell, and Raven had only gone there because of a feeling of rippling in the magic of earth and it had irked her feeling it so she had investigated who would be foolish enough to be using that level of Dark Magic. Needless to say, Zatanna and Zatara were greatly displeased with her arrival, Dr. Fate though had been very chatty with her. Despite her demon heritage.

Looking at her bookshelf her eyes looked over the books; some needed anchoring to the shelves, others magically bound, and ruins kept over others so their powers weren't unleashed by accident; again.

Her eyes settled on a book with Egyptian Hieroglyphs and she decided to start there.

* * *

Azarath.

He didn't know much about it, just that it was another dimension before it was decimated. And after having hacked into Raven's file at Titan's Tower, he saw that was her home dimension. It still didn't explain what his client wanted with the book, or what the book was, and it didn't matter.

The money he was making on this job was enough to have him overlooking a few things; and this was a prime time to fuck with the Bird Brain trio, flirt with Star to drive Boy Blunder further up the wall, and test out the new Titans.

Besides, if nothing else, he might get a good fight out of Raven, but she was the last line of defense Titan for if all else failed. Yes, he'd noticed how Nightwing would do that when he had formed his original merry band of misfits. Raven and Cyborg, they were the last line of defense, and they were the 'heavy guns' of the team. Not that Beast Boy and Starfire couldn't pack a punch, and Nightwing was no easy opponent either, but if one actually got to the point of fighting Cyborg and Raven… well, they had to be good at taking out the Titans.

But as of now he was thinking it was a guarantee for entertainment just to see what the new kids could do.

Oh, he knew very well what Damian could do, but the other two kids; Jaime and Terra, they could be interesting opponents. And he was going to have fun with this.

Or he could just do the job and not get caught, like usual; after all Red X was very good at vanishing into thin air without leaving clues about where he'd gone. But, as he felt a manic grin spread across his lips then, what was the fun in always getting away without a fight?

Standing up he stretched and tried to clear his head before the blood lust or madness drowned him out and he blacked out; which would not be good. After hiding from Bruce, Dick and Tim for nearly five years, after his second 'death', he wasn't inclined to let them know he was alive. He just really liked fucking with them from behind the scenes, and he knew it drove them all up the wall that they didn't know who the Red X was.

Shoving his hands in his jacket pocket he walked out of his apartment complex and down the dark street he lived on trying to clear his head.

Just breath, just breath, he chanted internally as he did combat breathing to keep focused.

It had been exactly one year, three months, and four days since his last manic episode, and that hadn't been pretty for he had slaughtered his client and body guards. In his defense his client had thought to double cross him and pulled a gun, firing it point-blank in his gut. He'd lost it. When he came too, everyone was dead, and he was bleeding. He'd gone to a hospital where he knew a shady doctor who patched him up on the down low.

Stopping at the water front he stared out at the bay and looked at the Titan's Tower. He smirked, pulled a cigarette, lit it and slipped it between his lips as he focused on the soothing taste of the tabaco to keep his focus.

He wondered if they even missed him. Did they even notice his absence in their family, or did they feel they were better off without him? Would it drive them nuts to know he was living in the same city, just five blocks from the water front, and had a killer view of their Tower? Or would they not care? Would it even matter to them if he decided to walk back into the Batcave and say 'I'm not dead!'? Would they even care that he was alive? Would they accept who he had become, monster and all? Or would he be left to his pain and loneliness longer? Would it drive them nuts to know he was Red X?

He shook his head, this was no time for melancholy thoughts like those.

Bruce had made his decision. They'd all moved on.

And he, well, he'd started over. Again. And they were all better off for it. He'd never be the hero that they wanted, and he'd never be the villain they could face. It was best for everyone if he just stayed dead.

Green eyes flicked across the bay where he saw the glowing tower and he smirked.

This heist would be the most fun he'd had in a while, since the debacle with Ding Dong Daddy stealing Dick's secret case. He was going to enjoy this, and take a moment to see his family, before kicking all their asses, and taking that book of Raven's.

Sunshine was going to be the most fun to encounter, he was looking forward to going toe to toe with her. She was such a reserved character.

Walking through the night again he slowly wound his way back through the dark street to his home. It was in a shitty part of San Francisco, and he liked it there.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up then and he stopped, moving his hand to discard his cigarette.

"Wallet, valuables, cash or your life," a voice growled behind him as a gun slammed into his ribs.

He chuckled.

"You picked the wrong fucking asshole to try to mug," he snarled as he spun fast, the man never stood a chance, the gun was kicked out of the would-be mugger's hand and he was gasping for air an arm crushed his windpipe and his arm twisted back, there was a sickening snap. The mugger screamed as he dropped to the sidewalk and green eyes narrowed on him.

"Pathetic," he growled before picking up the gun, examining it before disassembling it as he walked the rest the way home.

Once he was back in his apartment and he was certain he wasn't going to go manic he again opened up the Titan's mainframe.

Most of the weapons and magical items were cataloged in files, and he found that while Raven possessed a lot more than what she had catalogued, she had catalogued her books. Probably a requirement of some League member, he knew she practiced some serious magic, and her file hadn't revealed what, but he knew she was powerful.

He looked at the picture of the book he was taking and then at the books Raven had catalogued, it was there.

His eyes narrowed on the summary. It was Azarath, and according to the log, it was in her room. Beyond that, she had just listed it as one of the items not to touch or mess with, and left it blank. A frown tugged on his lips, it wasn't that he was against stealing magical items; he'd been contracted to do that before, but he wasn't one to go toying with magical things without knowing exactly what they did. He'd learnt the hard way Magic of any kind, could have nasty side effects which weren't initially mentioned.

However, he doubted Raven, who was now listed as the second in command of the Titans, was irresponsible enough to leave a dangerous magical artifact within reach of the kiddies she was now in charge of as a teacher for the Titans. There were so many things which could go wrong with her leaving magical things laying about, and Dick wouldn't name her as second in command if she wasn't responsible.

Sighing he pulled up the Tower blue prints as he looked around for his access and escape point.

Raven's room would not be easy to get to. Either she had purposely chosen it for defense or for the view he didn't know, didn't care, what he did know was that her room possessed two main access points. The door and the vents. He couldn't get in her room by the window, he wasn't fool enough to think Dick wouldn't make the glass bullet proof and power proof it he was to be taking care of heroes who were walking targets for their enemies by living in a giant T.

Hastily he looked over the security, made an escape and entry route, then sat back as he thought this over. He'd need to talk to a magician or sorcerer about getting counter shit, because he didn't doubt that Sunshine had filled her room with protective magic.

But this would still be fun, and he had a guy who owned him a few magic favors.

The tech was easy for him, he might not be a Tim Drake or Dick Grayson, but he wasn't incompetent with computers or tech and code. It was the magic he was seeing as his main problem. Picking up his phone he texted his contact for that favor and smirked internally knowing that this job was going to be the biggest thrill he could get without blowing his cover completely.

His eyes flicked to the computer before he shut and closed his eyes.

The plans were outline, he'd expand upon them this week and then he'd take the book. Why this book was so fucking important to a League member that they had to hire him to steal it rather than just asking her for it he would never know, and frankly he didn't care.

A challenge was issued.

And he had accepted it.

This was going to be a lot of fun! The Titans would be reminded again of the Red X, and they weren't going to catch him! the chuckle which escaped him couldn't be contained as he kicked off his boots and fell back on his lumpy bed. He'd get to work on knowing what security to disable tomorrow. For now, he was going to rest before he went insane.

* * *

Raven pulled her thick black hair up as she looked over her books for a hint to Jaime's armor. She just didn't think it was magical, then again, one would never know, she'd learn the hard way that not all magic was obvious. Her eyes flicked to the book she had chained to the wall, with a protective seal holding it there. She could still feel the conflicting emotions of pride, discontent, and malice rolling off it where a dragon slumbered; and was going to stay slumbering.

Oh, she still talked to Malchoir from time to time, the dragon was too wise for her not to try to use his knowledge and learn from him, but she wasn't able to be manipulated by him anymore. And she kept him firmly locked up and sealed away so no one, not even a sorcerer of Zatara or Zatanna's level could sense him.

It was for the best that way.

Her eyes slid back to the page when there was a knock on her door. Rather than answer it she flicked her wrist as she pulled it open.

"Uh…" she turned as she felt the rolling signature of Damian then.

"Is there something you need Damian?" she asked as she stood, looked at the page she was on before she shut the book and put it on the desk.

"I came here to ask if you knew anything about the Lazarus Pit?" he admitted. Then she felt the waves of curiosity and sadness coming off him.

"I would suspect you know all about the Pit," she said softly.

"I just… I'm curious," he shrugged.

"Curious about what exactly?" she asked in a flat tone.

"How powerful is it really?"

"Damian," she sighed, knowing all about Ra's al Ghul's death. "Some things should not be reversed, and even the Pit, has limits, but so does the person entering it."

"What's so bad about it that it being synthesized scars father?" he asked.

"Many things, the price of coming back to life, of defying death, it's a painful price," Raven said.

"I see," Damian nodded. "That is all," he dismissed her as he walked away and she shook her head. An infuriating child, but she had a feeling many forgot he was a child still. Dick hadn't, and she knew that it was part of the reason he was here.

Turning back to her room she shut the door before picking the book up again and resuming her reading.


	3. Promoted to Glorified Bat Sitter

Dick had never found it easy to lie to Raven, even before she had entered his mind, and yesterday he while he hadn't fully lied, he hadn't told her everything. He wondered why it was that he couldn't ever lie to her? Pondering this he came to one conclusion: It was her eyes, Raven's eyes could pierce one so it appeared that she was gazing at the soul and she could feel everything. Seriously, he'd only seen the woman psyched out once, and it was because of a horror flick which had startled her so bad that her normal shields had been sabotaged with by the team's emotions.

Which was why he was fidgeting when he walked into the Titan's office and looked upon his fellow Titan founders who were here to discuss the new topic of the League's will.

"So how did friend Raven take the news?" Starfire asked eagerly.

"Uh…"

"He didn't tell her," Cyborg smirked.

"Dude! She's going to find out when the horde show up tomorrow and expect her to teach them!" Beast Boy pointed.

"I know I know!" he huffed as he sat down. This wasn't his idea, no, it had been Bruce's, perhaps by having Raven teach Tim and Stephanie to work with Damian and not kill each other. He was to blame for this bad idea though, Dick had mistakenly reported to Bruce that Raven's influence on Damian was calming the boy down. Oh, he knew that Damian was far from in control or carefree and innocent (the kid might never be), and he knew that Damian didn't fully trust Raven. But Raven hadn't forced it and her bond with the boy was having the desired effect, Damian was learning teamwork and trusting the unknown.

There was a reason no one could find Raven's file on the Titan mainframe.

Well, naturally Bruce was seeking for Tim, Damian and Stephanie to work together so they didn't destroy Gotham while they were hunting bad guys, and Dick got the logic behind this move. He did. He also knew that his empath friend could only handle so much before her concentrated control snapped and everything came crashing down upon their heads.

Also, there was the matter of the coming 'recruits'. After a blundered 'mission' which had required him, KF, Jinx, and Starfire bailing out Wonder Girl, Supergirl, and Jonathan Samuel Kent a.k.a Superboy. They were now officially 'teaching', as directed by the League. Dick and Star hadn't bothered to pointing out that they didn't work for the League, because at that point it was really about the kids and getting them somewhere safe where they could learn.

But the expansion had gone past those three to include, Miss Martian, Artemis, Bart Allen (who had accidentally time traveled to this time period and was stranded here until they could find a way to get him home) and Garth's young protégé and friend, Kaldur'ahm. Roy had immediately said it was up to the original team for the mentoring, and Bumblebee had pointed out that her division of the Titans wasn't exactly best for teaching and the other divisions were already stretched thin. Dick was inclined to agree, but these kids needed to be with the Titans and not the League; if only for their own safety until they could handle the League crises.

The last thing anyone needed was another Jason Todd, Jason's death had been a devastating blow to his entire family, both as the Bat family, and Wayne's family. It was a large part of the reason Dick had gone through the trouble of stealing the Robin gear; aside from his attempt to keep the mantle from going to Tim (not that it that stopped Tim), and running to San Francisco to form a group of heroes. They weren't sidekicks, no, they were their own heroes who could work with their teams and mentors. This had been a hard lesson for him to learn, but with the help of his friends, and their patience they had built the Titans. And while the League only saw a place to kick their sidekicks off too so they didn't get hurt, Dick knew that they were so much more.

Case in point: Trigon.

Trigon was a monster that only Raven had been able to vanquish, no one in the League could have done what she did. And he knew it. Hell, everyone in this room knew it! He even had the footage to prove it, though he'd left it to Cyborg to safely encrypt that and lock it away where the League wouldn't be able to see it. If Zatanna got her hands on that footage she'd crucify Raven.

"We must tell Raven," Star stated firmly.

"Yeah, we also need to tell her not just about the new training gig that's going past Terra, Damian and Jaime, to a whole fleet of teenagers," Gar pointed out.

"Speaking of expansion, my friend has agreed to help us since we're expanding some more we're going to need some tech support, Barbara agreed to help us out," he said and watched as Star stiffened, her green eyes narrowing then and he felt a forming headache. Again, this wasn't his idea; but holy shit did they need help! They weren't like the League who had limitless resources and legions of adoring fans willing to write a check to fund shit like the Watch Tower or the Hall of Justice; even Bruce felt the League was getting too flashy. Bruce! The king of dramatics! However, the Titans were modestly funded by their own supporters and their mentors, but they were stretched a bit too thin for true functioning without a coördinator, which is where Barbara came in. The former Batgirl had decided to go about expanding her role outside the Bat family and Bruce had asked her to come here to help watch over the family. She'd said yes, and he was just happy not to be in charge alone, besides Dick had a feeling Bruce was going to savor his alone time.

"Did you tell Raven anything?" Cyborg asked with a slight chuckle.

"Yes! I told her about Project Cadmus, the Lazarus Pit, and Slade!" he pointed out in triumph when he saw his friends frown.

"And what the heck are we supposed to tell her when there's a bunch of reckless teenagers showing up here for training!? Most of them from the Bat and Super family!?" Beast Boy demanded. Everyone frowned at him, for he was the most reckless on their team and he was the youngest Titan, right after Raven. "Come on! I'm an equal founding member of this team! I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Beast Boy is right," Star pointed out as they ignored the last outburst.

"I'm still on Team Raven, how about Star and BB take over some of the training? Then it's divided," Cyborg suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Beast Boy explained.

"Look, I'll talk with Raven, you said she was looking up stuff for Jaime in her room?"

"Yeah," Cyborg shrugged.

"Do you wish for me to come as well?" Star asked him.

"No, um… Star, could you go greet Barbara, and show her around the tower?" he sighed. Yes he knew what a cluster fuck that could be, but he couldn't leave it to Beast Boy, and Cyborg was going to work on something for him. "Beast Boy you're on kitchen duty."

"What!?" Cyborg balked.

"Yes!"

"Kay, I'll talk to Raven, again," he grumbled.

"Very well," Star grumbled as she stood and stalked past him.

"Victor, I need to ask you to run something down for me," Dick said before the last member of the team could leave them. "I need information on Slade, Deathstroke," he said as he held up the flash drive then. "On the down low, I don't want anyone knowing outside of the original Team knowing about it."

* * *

She sensed him lurking/hovering really, and if she hadn't gotten used to this peculiar trait of the Bat family's she'd have probably sent them to another dimension already.

"I can feel you there Damian," she said calmly.

"How do you do that?" he demanded, the ten year old stalked silently over to her; again, this was another annoying trait she associated with the Bat family.

"I'm an empath," she surrendered. After months of the boy studying her, she had decided it was time to give a little and take a little, she figured he was enough like Beast Boy in the curiosity aspect to miss her system of collecting his trust and information.

"Empath?" Damian skeptically lifted his brows behind his mask.

"Yes," she said as she continued to levitate.

"Raven," she turned slightly then to see Dick standing there which had her slowly standing, Damian remained where he was. "We need to speak."

She nodded, odd, he'd just spoken to her yesterday after his return, and this evening was her evening off of kitchen duties. Damian, on the other hand, seemed to think that he could get away with standing here like her shadow to hear whatever Dick had to say to her. Raven looked over at the boy who was nearly as tall as her.

"Damian, don't you have kitchen duty tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah but I'm not hungry."

"But the team might be," Dick said firmly, the boy growled as he stomped off. She knew that Dick had assumed a role model role for Damian after their initial dislike of one another had faded. She tracked Damian until he was in the tower before she looked at Dick.

"Is there more than the Pit and Slade?"

"We uh… we're taking on a lot of new recruits," he said uncertainly. Raven revealed nothing as she waited for him to continue; she was sorely tempted to use their bond to pry this time but she already knew how uncomfortable everyone was with her being an empath. And even if Dick, Kori, Gar, and Cy were her oldest friends and were comfortable with her repartee of abilities, she tried her damnedest not to invade their emotions and minds, she wouldn't violate her bond with Dick because of her desire to know what was bothering him.

"Look, it's just so no one get's killed, and you're proving to be an excellent mentor as it is, and Batman thought it was a good idea, and naturally everyone else follows his lead, so um… we're kind of taking on all the sidekicks," Dick finally managed.

Raven felt her brow twitch then.

"All?"

"Yeah, all the ones who don't want their kid to die," he explained nervously. Her eyes narrowed on him as she took a step forward to glare up at his towering form.

"And the reason you neglected to tell me this bit of information was?" she challenged.

"I…"

"Nightwing, I am not a babysitter!" she snapped, her temper running dangerously close to the surface before she took a sharp breath and centered herself again, placing her anger in a box. She couldn't lose it, she hadn't lost it in years, and she wasn't going to lose it. There would be no lapses from her.

"And I'm not asking you to be, you're still second in command of the Titans, it's just… we can't have another Robin on our hands," he pointed out and she frowned.

"That's low," she warned him.

"Raven, I'm serious, we can't have another death, they're just kids, and most are too determined to prove themselves to their mentors to take notice of their own recklessness," he sighed.

"If I remember correctly, you were plenty reckless yourself when you started the team," she said calmly. "Trying to prove your worth, determined to do it all on your own."

"Yeah, but you guys proved I had nothing to prove," he sighed. "I don't want one of these kids to die."

"How many?" she surrendered; she wasn't going to win this argument and she knew it. At this point it was best to just flow with it.

"The current three, two Bat kids, seven more," he informed her. Raven's eyes narrowed then.

"And Zatanna was alright with a demon teaching the powered youths of the Justice League?"

"Uh… no, but Batman sort of shot down all her arguments, and after what happened earlier this week which nearly killed Supergirl and Wonder Girl, he talked over her," Dick shrugged.

"And when did you find out about this?"

"Yesterday, at the gala," he mumbled.

"And the Team?"

"Last night, you were looking for answers on Jaime's beetle," he defended.

"I am only doing this so they don't get killed," she warned her friend.

"I know," he nodded as he held up his hands in surrender.

"Good, and they had better not go into my room," she warned as she walked back to the tower. She didn't mind being a mentor to others, but her inability to turn off her own abilities constantly had her bombarded by other's and their emotions. Teenagers were the worst! They had driven her insane as a young new earth teen because of all the lust and hormones they felt, and back in Azarath, while hormones weren't dead, they weren't as wild. Now she was about to be surrounded by the horde of hero teens. Mother of Azarath give her strength, she was going to need it.

Raven looked in the kitchen to where Beast Boy and Damian were winning the dinner argument, and she sighed before she felt Kori's turbulent emotions and she frowned as she walked after her emotionally distraught friend.

"Star," she called hesitantly as she looked in the main hall to see the taller woman pacing.

"Oh, Raven, I…"

"You're projecting, is there… something the matter?" Raven asked. Over the years she'd gotten better at this whole friend thing but she was hesitant to pry into her friend's and their problems.

"I… Barbara is coming to work with us," Star explained.

"I see," Raven took this as a warning that the love triangle was going to be back and in full force, like it had been four years ago before Barbara had been attacked by the Joker.

"I do not know what to do, Dick asked me to greet her and give her the tour," Star grumbled.

"I'll do it if you make sure Damian and Jaime don't kill each other over dishes," Raven traded off. Just because she had kitchen duties off didn't mean she was out of the woods. She still had to handle Damian and Jaime, and Terra; and those three seemed hellbent on not getting along. Not that she blamed Damian or Jaime for their dislike of Terra, but their united front in that matter disappeared once they started arguing.

"Thank you!" Star gasped as she surged forward, before Raven could escape she was wrapped up in a bone crushing hug then her friend flew off.

"Gotta go, Project Cadmus!" Nightwing informed her as he jogged away in his gear, she sighed seeing him head for the garage and she looked to the ceiling. The things she did for her friends. Walked to security station she started waiting for the former Batgirl.

It wasn't that Raven disliked the woman, far from it, Barbara wasn't that bad of a person, but Raven's best girl friend was Kori, and by default that meant Raven sided with Star regardless of the matter. She also did the same thing for Beast Boy, Cyborg and Nightwing. For her friends, she'd do anything needed to keep them safe and happy, they were her family, and she protected her family.

Raven didn't have to wait long before there was a buzz at the security gate. The video identified her as Barbara Gordon and Raven let the van in. Raven opened a portal, taking the van to the garage before she melted into the shadows as she walked out of them in the garage.

"Raven, I was expecting Dick," Barbara said in shock as she unloaded her chair.

"Just me," Raven answered.

"Still in charge of training?" Barbara asked her.

"You know the answer," Raven pointed out as she lead Barbara out of the garage, levitating the bags after them.

"How is everyone?"

"Fine."

"Still not much of a talker," Barbara sighed.

"Your room is in the girl's wing, breakfast is between seven and nine, lunch is served at noon, and dinner is between five and seven, all of your codes are the same, if you wish to change them change them, you know your way around well enough I suppose, if you need directions just ask. You're to set up the network how you like, the over watch lair is in the same place," Raven said simply.

"Raven," Barbara interrupted. "Thank you, I can manage if it's all the same."

"Very well," Raven nodded before she left Barbara at the elevator.

"Dick says you're getting through to Damian, how is he?"

"Fine," she shrugged as she walked away. She didn't know what people expected from her, and the last time Barbara was here it was painful for Raven. That love triangle could be felt through the whole tower, Raven had seriously considered calling Bumblebee and asking for a transfer to Titan's East for a moment of peace. Raven created a portal to her room and stepped through it as she lightly landed in the center.

Everything was going to be fine, she assured herself mentally as she reached up to her bookshelf to continue her hunt for answers on Jaime's armor.

For how long she looked she didn't know, there was a buzz on the intercom which finally broke her conversation.

"Raven," Cyborg's voice filled her room then. getting up again she walked to the intercom.

"Yes?"

"Come to over watch, there's something you need to see," Cyborg informed her. again she looked at her book then set it aside as she memorized the page number before she opened a portal; her short cut to avoid people at times, and she fell to the room with a light landing.

"What is it?" she asked as she walked to the screen Cyborg was working at.

Her eyes widened then.

"Not possible."

* * *

He looked through his scope again, his rifle pointed at the tower as he assessed the Titan's headquarters again. His breath slid out slowly when he'd seen the van pull up, focusing in on the face he'd been startled to see Barbara of all people there. It wasn't that he didn't expect her to work with the Titans, no, her friendship with Bird Brain I sort of made that inevitable.

However, he had kind of thought her out of the life after what had happened with Joker. Though he supposed she'd never leave this life, it was too fucking addicting and she'd had a talent for computers. At least, she'd had that knack before he'd died the first time, he wouldn't be surprised if Bruce had kept her around for that talent alone.

Then again, Bruce didn't discard his kids, Bruce just discarded him. Frowning slightly he'd watched the opening of a portal and the van being enveloped in the shadows and he'd smirked. So Sunshine was on gate duty.

He'd kind of been looking forward to the clash of redheads with Starfire and Barbara.

No matter, his scope slid over the compound as he assessed the perimeter for weak spots, he found two. Which gave him two places he could escape, he'd need to stow a bike there accordingly. His main concern was his escape, though he supposed he could just use Dick's belt and teleport out; because that's how he was getting in, but he didn't see the fun in that.

Pulling up he took his rifle apart, slid it into it's case as he walked back through the abandoned building.

He was a bit startled by Barbara's arrival, it meant he'd have to up his timeline, perhaps he'd go after the book before the end of the day after tomorrow. He kind of wanted to see what was going on before he did something rash and impulsive and ended up in one of his black outs which had everyone dead. Not that he minded killing, it was the blackout part which worried him. It was as if he had no control of his body or memory and no matter what he did to try to recall what he'd done, it was gone and he couldn't get it back. Which was why he was hesitant to go tomorrow. The arrival of Barbara signaled something, what he wasn't sure; he hadn't seen anything on the Titan main frame to indicate a coming change, but he wasn't going to put faith in something until he knew what he was walking into.

He was not dying for a book.

It wasn't happening!

He'd already been to hell, he didn't fancy the return trip just yet. There was a lot of shit to do, and Bird Brains to mess with.

Straddling his bike, he slid the helmet on before he roared out of the building and into traffic.

* * *

"Did he suspect?"

"No, he believes he was hired by a League member, one who particularly dislikes our little demon," she said as she walked from the shadows still dressed in her disguise.

"Of course not, stupid humans wouldn't wonder about it."

"Magic of Azarath is rare, are you certain you can handle it?"

"Perhaps I'm of the few. But that is not why I want the book, it's what's in the book I seek."

"Very well, when he has retrieved the book I will collect it," she sighed.

"Good, everything will go as planned then."

"How are you so certain that whatever is within the book is actually there?"

"Because she's a nostalgic creature, and she'd hide it in the last bit of her home dimension she possesses."

"If you're certain."

"Of this I'm certain."

* * *

The morning that came had her frowning a bit.

"Good morning Raven!" Star cheered as Raven walked into the kitchen for her herbal tea, the other residences still sleeping, but Raven knew the kids were arriving in fifteen minutes so they could be settled, they'd have a team breakfast, and then the training out start.

"Are you eager to greet out new recruits today?" Star asked as she landed.

Raven frowned, was she excited to be a glorified baby sitter of emotionally driven teens? No.

"They're just more teens," Raven shrugged.

"Yes, but you are nineteen, are you not excited to be surrounded by peers?" Star asked.

"I don't have peers Star, I have family and students," she pointed out. She had never had peers, and until she was pulled into the Titans her main goal in life was trying to make up for all the bad she'd do, and perhaps make the world a bit better before it all went to hell. The Titans were the first people she'd been around who were near her age, and they were her family.

"Yes, but this will be fun!" Star declared, Raven felt the waves of forced cheer coming off Star then and sighed.

"Star, everything will work itself out," she assured her friend.

"I do not want to think about it," Star grumbled. Raven shrugged, she could endure her friend's turbulent emotions about the arrival of Barbara Gordon.

There was a loud buzz in the tower alerting them to the arrival of the new kids.

"So much for keeping introductions peaceful and civil," Raven grumbled as she set her tea aside and darted after Star, both taking to the air, hopefully before their resident Robin could come charging out with a sword swinging at the new comers. Raven felt Damian coming, she twisted in the air as she caught the boy before he could get out the door; how the hell was he so fast!? He wasn't even a meta and she was having trouble catching him sometimes.

"No Beetle!" Raven called out as she saw the blur of blue, her powers surging out to catch him but she was diverted as she tried to catch flying rocks before Terra could start a war.


	4. No, You Can't Kill Them

Raven felt stretched thin at the moment as she held up a shield between her team, the new kids, and their mentors. The sweat beaded her brow, sliding over her skin slowly as she continued her focus, she could feel it all slipping and then there was a smashing of rocks near where she was and everything snapped. Raven could no more contain it in time than she could prevent it as she felt her Rage-self slip through her control and the excessive power surge through her as the air cooled several degrees and the shadows bended to their mistress.

" _ **ENOUGH!**_ " she roared, her second eyes coming forth as she bared her fangs at the children who had been about to start a war here at the entrance, everyone gasped as they scrambled back, and their fear bombarded her.

"Rae!" Cyborg shouted, she turned as she shoved her rage aside and her feet hit the ground, her eyes narrowed on Terra, Jaime and Damian who were all standing there trying to look unruffled by her outburst but weren't hiding it well. Sighing she walked over to Damian and Jaime who had never seen her demon before and placed a hand on both their shoulders, both boy flinched but looked up at her.

"I'm sorry that I lost control, and you reacted well if this had been a threat," she assured the boys.

"Whoa! Did you see those eyes, and the fangs!" a boy blurted out gleefully and Raven looked at the young man dressed in a speedster uniform, white and red though, his crop of messy brown hair was sticking up at odd angles. "She totally scared you!"

"Shut up Impulse! I was not scared!" the other youngster of the group protested, but Raven saw the look in his father's eyes as Superman glared down at her.

"What's all the alarms for, it's too early for the bad guys," Beast Boy grumbled as he walked out.

"Welcome to Titan Tower!" Star barreled over everyone and everything as she released the blondes she had been holding back. "I am Starfire, this is Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven."

"It's Changling!" Beast Boy shouted indignantly.

"Get used to no one calling you that dude," Jaime snorted.

"I think this was a bad idea," Superman said suddenly and Raven sighed as she prepared to hear this rant about her demon heritage, but the Batman slipped through the group and looked down at her. Raven was very used to the 'Bat stare' she received it a lot from Dick, Tim, and Damian.

"We still require the apprentices to work with us," Batman said.

"Well yeah man," Cyborg said.

"You are free to come whenever you please, no one in this tower is held hostage," Raven said blandly.

"Good, Red Robin, Robin, Batgirl are all here for training, keep in touch," Bruce said as he handed her a communicator and then he walked away.

"Wait Batman! You cannot seriously be leaving them with that demon!" Diana shouted after him. Raven hid the pain in that statement, she knew that it wasn't often her temper got the better of her, but she also knew how this first meeting looked to the Justice League members; like she was an out of control monster.

"Raven is in perfect control of her emotions, and she'd never hurt us," Starfire quipped which had everyone's eyes landing on the orange Tameranian. "And we are here to help teach, Raven is very good at the teaching."

"I'm staying," Impulse shouted then zipped over to Blue Beetle and Robin. "So, doIget to beapart of thisteam? Whendo we havebreakfast?I'mstarving!Wheresmyroom?..." the kid gradually sped up to the point of being incomprehensible. Raven blandly looked up to Impulse's mentor.

"Does he always talk this fast?" she asked blandly.

"He always talks, and he's always hungry," Flash chuckled when his communicator buzzed. "Flash, Go. Uh-huh, on the way. Well take care of my grandson!" and with that the man was a blur of red and wind.

"I don't like this…" Superman muttered.

Cyborg did most the talking as Star herded the kids into the Tower so they could start their breakfasts, and the laying out the ground rules. When it had just been her, Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg it had been pretty simple. But now she knew they were adding in an element of teenagers, and drama, and hormones, and more than likely unspoken rules would be broken.

Before, the rules were as followed:

-Respect personal boundaries.

-No prying.

-Team training was not negotiable.

-And NO ONE entered her room.

Mostly, no one entered her room after the thing with Beast Boy and Cyborg getting sucked into the Nevermore, and the few times the others had accidentally ignited some magic in her room and it reacted poorly. Raven practiced Dark Magic, she was very good at it and she rarely had mishaps in what she practiced. However, like all Magic, Dark Magic was temperamental and expressive, it was a force of all it's own, and her particular Magic didn't take too kindly to others invading or touching and was known to react by locking others in other dimensions. Poor Garth, he'd been traumatized after his stint in another dimension. Raven had warned them though, and the last person to try to enter her room was Damian; she gave the boy credit for making it all the way to Malchoir before her Magic had activated and flung him out of her room. Foolish boy, he still tried to break into her room, but her Magic steadily held up against the little assassin.

Thinking of the assassin she pulled his unsheathed sword from his grasp as she tucked it into a pocket dimension.

"Raven!" he shouted at her in anger and she lifted a brow at him.

"If I cannot hurt them then you cannot kill them, and no weapons at the table," she warned as she walked past him. The boy growled but gave up arguing with her. Raven knew she had won, after Damian had tested her for his first month of coming around the Titan's Tower with Dick he had learnt she won every argument she got in.

"Alright, we will begin the introductions!" Starfire announced gleefully once all the teens were seated at the table.

"After we eat breakfast we'll start training, and testing, then dividing you into teams according to strengths and weaknesses," Cyborg announced.

"Upon Dick's return we will consult with our leader, do a reassessment of these teams," Beast Boy shouted. Raven just sighed internally, opting not to speak because she knew that no matter what the assessments revealed she was stuck with Damian, Jaime and Tim. The reason for this deduction was actually very simple: Damian trusted her and if it was anyone outside of Dick, Bruce and her he didn't listen (to anyone, and he barely listened to them as it was). Jaime's armor was fond of Victor, and Victor was Raven's second in command; and since Jaime's armor had had a few adverse reactions to Star or Nightwing, he wasn't switching teams. And then there was Tim, and the main reason she was in charge of Tim was simply because he and Damian needed to learn to get along and not try to kill each other all the time.

Everyone else was up for grabs though.

"I'm Jon!" the Superboy piped up then and Raven saw him take the initiative as the other teens carefully followed his lead.

Over all there were a lot of them.

"I refuse to take instructions from a demon," the new Wonder Girl spat when it came to her turn.

"That is not nice!" Star shrieked.

"Star, it's alright," Raven surrendered though she sensed the Bat kids tensing at this statement as Raven stood. "I do not expect you to like me, Cassandra Sandsmark, I do not care if you like me or not, but you will respect me. If only for the reason that I am senior here."

"Raven is one of the founding members of the Titans, she's more than earned your respect," Cyborg said softly as the quite fell over the table.

"Testing is in thirty minutes, finish breakfast, Jaime, you're on dishes," Raven said as she left the bombarding emotions and she left the children behind her as she took a steadying breath. They were just kids, they didn't know any better, and it didn't matter. She was a demon's daughter, but she was also human. Funny how everyone overlooked the human part of her heritage.

Walking into her room she gingerly shut the door.

Careful not to let her emotions get the best of her Raven tried to center herself as she flicked her wrist to light all the candles in her room, filling it with a sweet aroma as she walked to her bed and collapsed.

She wasn't a monster.

She was just going to have to prove this all over!

Groaning she buried her face in her pillow and wished Trigon had managed to kill her for she hated having to continuously prove herself.

* * *

Bruce knew the JL questioned his decision to send the 'sidekicks' off to learn with a demoness as their mentor, but in truth Bruce had seen the footage of Raven's battle with Trigon (there was nothing he didn't have regarding the Titans for the safety of his own children), and for a fourteen year old she had shown far more power and restraint than he had ever thought possible. He also saw a bit of Jason in her, the misunderstood, alone, and desperately seeking a place in this world.

Dick described her as reserved, as a calming, logical force who could have him seeing things in a new light.

Tim thought her to be a mystery worth unravelling, but Raven had always held steadfast against Red Robin's constant digging.

And Damian, Damian who did not like anyone, found her admirable, and trustworthy, she was also patient with him.

Bruce had figured out six years ago that Raven was a good force, and he was trying to get the other Leaguers and their children to see that. Bruce had hopes that if he could get her to be seen in a different light, by most of the League members, then he could possibly persuade her and Cyborg to come up to the JL. Cyborg went with Raven, Dick had made that very clear and the few approaches the JL had tried on Cyborg, the young man stated as much.

Raven would be an excellent addition to the League though, her abilities, and her knowledge… she'd be an excellent magic consultant along with Zatanna, Constantine, and Dr. Fate, and the few other odd magicians the League had acquired.

However, the prejudices against the young woman, while understandable, were getting a bit out of hand. Which was a part of the reason Bruce had asked for the Titans to become more of a mentoring program than the JL.

Also… it was Bruce's sincerest hope to prevent another Jason. He didn't want anyone in the League to feel the anguish which came from burying their child because they weren't fully ready. And despite all of Jason's skill and fineness he hadn't been ready. Jason had also had that darker edge, and Bruce had never quite figured out how to curb it or dull it. Even when Jason had been Red Hood, he hadn't known how to get through to the boy.

And Bruce was seeing a few more kids like Damian and Jason being taken in by other Leaguers and he really wanted to prevent a death here. Dick had agreed to help, and by opening up the Titans as mentors; because most of them hadn't had mentors, it was a chance for productive growth.

Also, anyone who could connect to Damian, Dick and Tim could not be completely evil!

Then there was his personal reason for wanting his group of kids to be here rather than in Gotham. But he'd worry about it later.

* * *

He was a bit relieved that with his equipment and view of the Tower, he was able to see what the ruckus was all about from his living room, and he was a bit relieved for having delayed his plans a bit. All the adults had been there, and while the adults didn't scare or intimidate him, he wasn't overly fond of the idea of encountering his former mentor or running into a pissed off Kryptonian. Though he had a feeling that the Kryptonians were unavoidable now, he counted two for sure, but one he suspected to be a Kryptonian or an Amazon.

It wasn't much of a problem, not really, but it just made a bit more work for him as he watched the Tower for a bit.

His phone buzzed and he picked up the voice modulator as he answered.

"You know she's got some bloody, and brilliant magic, right?" his contact droned.

"Just tell me you have it done and I can pick it up," he replied as he continued examining the Tower for signs and hints as to what was going on there.

"Yeah, yeah, it's not going to keep you in her room if she put serious wards in there, but it'll be enough for you to get in and get out," the other man sighed.

"That's all I need," he smirked.

"We're even now," the other cockily declared.

"Not even close, just put it in the usual drop box, I'll pick it up tonight," he smirked and hung up the line. The thing about making friends in low places was that they sometimes had good uses.

Now he just needed to steal some Kryptonite…

The Titans would never know what hit them.

* * *

"Now that everyone is settled in with their rooms there are rules," Star spoke up as the kids, now dressed in training gear rather than uniforms all stood in the Titan's massive, multilevel gym. It was set up for gymnastics, flying, aerial combat, sparring, working out, and most importantly power use; which was tricky to engineer, but worth it.

"Raven, if you would," Beast Boy gestured to her and she frowned; of course, being second in command of the Titans would mean she'd have to talk about the rules Dick had given her.

"Rule One: boys are not allowed in girl dormitories, and girls are not allowed in boy dormitories. The legal age for this to change is eighteen at which point you will be moved to the upper living quarters, if you should choose to stay with the Titans for more learning. And do not think you will be able to get around this rule, I set up the wards myself, and none here are versed in Magic so do not try to tamper with them.

"Rule Two: there is to be no physical fighting within the Tower outside of the gym and the agility courses and training, if I catch anyone, (Damian), trying to instigate a fight anywhere but the gym or the O course, your life is mine.

"Rule Three: there will be a chore rotation set up, do not think for a minute that you can get out of your chores. Everyone will be doing chores, including the founding Titans when we're here.

"Rule Four: No One is to enter restricted access areas, (Tim, Stephanie, Damian), trying to hack them will be cause for punishment, and do not think you can escape without being notice; Barbara is setting up our security, short of the Oracle or Overwatch or Cyborg hacking in, you're not getting in.

"Rule Five: on missions, you will listen to your team captain and their second in command. We are not your mentors, we are not your guardians, and showing off is not tolerated on any level here. your mentors aren't here to bail you out should you need it, and we, the founders, aren't willing to die so you can prove to your mentor you're ready, (Damian).

"Rule Six: language will be appropriate, school work will be done, mentors will be checking in, and bathrooms are to be clean. No exceptions, no arguments, and should you not follow this rule we will be washing your mouths out with soap, benching you from all Titan's work, send you home with escorts, and be handing you toothbrushes for cleaning. This is Dick's rule and don't think it won't be enforced.

"And Lastly Rule Seven: **Absolutely,** _ **NO ONE**_ **Is Allowed In** _ **MY ROOM**_ **. If I should catch you there it will be cause for immediate dismissal from the Titans, if you survive my room and my wrath.** _ **DO NOT**_ **test me** ," she growled the last rule lowly which had several kids looking confused but Raven refused to have to deal with some idiot teenager dying, getting sucked into another dimension, or blasted because they were messing around in her room. Been there, done that, she'd prefer not to have a repeat if possible.

"Now that that's over," Cyborg smiled. "We're now going to test your abilities and decide who goes to what team."

"I thought we were working with Nightwing," Superboy grumbled and Raven lifted her brow at the boy who was glaring pointedly at Damian.

"No, Nightwing is the ultimate leader, but the two teams we will be dividing into are Raven's and Starfire's, with Beast Boy and myself as second in commands," Cyborg explained.

"Why are the girls team captains?" Impulse blurted out.

"Because Raven is second in command of the Titans, and Star's older than Beast Boy," Cyborg chuckled. Raven softened a bit seeing her green friend scowl at this revelation. "And I'm always Raven's second in command."

"I see, this is alright then," Cassandra shrugged as she leant back and smirked at the group. Raven could only see coming troubles.

"Now let us begin!" Star gleefully bounced.

"Joy," Raven sighed.

"How are you testing us?"

"You will be sparring us," Beast Boy smirked then and she swore she saw several malicious looks thrown around the room.

"All at once? No offense but we're League apprentices and we can kick your butts," Supergirl said.

"Let us test this, Damian, Terra and Jaime will be sitting this out, we know what you can do and we don't need someone accidentally dead," Cyborg chuckled.

Raven saw Damian scowl but sensed the boy's disinterest. He was far too well trained to find any of them a true opponent, and after his run in with Talon and the Court of Owls, he was trying really hard not to be lethal. It would be best not to tempt him, but Raven knew he'd want something to do, but she couldn't think of anything so she watched him go.

"So, who wants their butt whooped first?" Victor smirked once they were down their kids.

* * *

It was well after midnight when made his way to the drop spot he had with his contact. Picking up the package he inspected it carefully then lifted the note.

'No promises, but it should last for a minute.'

He tucked the package in his jacket before he was again straddling his bike and he tossed the note as he rode through the city. It was so quiet here, it was a bit eerie, the fog was rolling in and the cool night air filled his lungs as it cleared his head.

He was making his move tonight, it was the only time that made sense because of the numerous kids there now. Well, they weren't kids, but they weren't Titans either and while he was all for a fight, he knew there were only so many hits from a Superbrat he could take before he was K.O.'d, and that wasn't pleasant.

Also, he knew that whatever his contact had sent him wasn't likely to last long; Magic was tricky this way but Jason was coming to accept it as a part of his life. There was much in these many worlds which was more Magic based than science and it was an unknown. Besides, after half the shit he'd seen he couldn't not believe in Magic, though he knew it was harder for the Bird Brains and Bats to accept.

Pulling into his hideout he slid off his bike as he started changing. He'd modified his brother's costume over the years, mostly because he felt ridiculous in spandex and shit. Also, he was not bullet proof and in his line of work, bullet proof was a necessity.

Pulling on the black gear, the red X on the armor he did a double check. The utility belt wrapped around his hips, other weapons and necessities he'd accumulated were tucked away in extra pockets on his cargo pants, and his boots were tied securely. As Bruce had taught him: he might not be the strongest, or the fastest, but he sure as hell was the most prepared.

Once he was satisfied that none of his gear would leave a lucky spot for a Titan to land a lucky blow on him he grabbed his black leather jacket and pulled it on before grabbing the skull mask he'd modified into a helmet. Straddling his other bike, he did a double check again and then he revved the engine before roaring out of the garage.

Slowly he pulled his bike to the outside gate of the Tower, in a blind spot he was surprised hadn't been fixed and looked at the time.

It was three in the morning, all the lights in the tower were off. Pulling out his package he looked it over before he slowly opened the envelope open and found himself looking at a red x necklace. Grumbling a bit, he slipped it over his head and tucked it under his jacket, here's hoping that the magic worked and didn't get him killed, he thought before standing.

His eyes narrowed on Raven's room and he took a steadying breath before his hand fell to the belt.

* * *

By midnight the teams were decided and would be finalized when Nightwing was here to look them over and approve.

Exhaustion had her stumbling to her bed and collapsing. She was already emotionally strung out and her mental shields against all the emotions around her were already wearing thin by the time the end of the day had come. Fucking teenagers! She remembered why she didn't like them, and she also remembered why she wasn't overly fond of League brats.

Every one of the super strength ones had come at her with everything they had, Raven felt fairly certain that they were all taking something out on her for her heritage or something, and she didn't care. Their prejudices were out of hand and they all made their contempt for her known. Frankly it annoyed her that no one looked at her and saw her, they just saw the demon Zatanna said she was.

Sighing Raven rolled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling.

She'd gone to the League about her father first, she reminded herself. Zatanna had driven the League's dislike of her, and at twelve Raven hadn't had the courage to fight them. No, she'd bolted, immediately, her empathy had sensed all their hostile attitudes and rather than having to deal with them she had run.

It had brought her here, and about a year later Dick had shown up and he was making an unintentional team, she'd been pulled in by the warmth, the joy, the care, and the laughter there. They formed the Titans, and she was accepted, demon and all.

The League had disliked her, but Dick and her friends had steadfastly held up against the League and made her second in command of the Titans. It was a big deal and it had royally pissed of Zatanna.

Now Raven was dealing with the backlash of a pissed off Magician and teens who were making their dislike of her known. Sighing Raven closed her eyes as she let sleep drown her and the welcoming darkness consume her.

She'd take a shower in the morning.

* * *

Lightly landing in the general area of Raven's quarters he felt the X around his neck start burning. Hurrying towards a door he knew was raven he slid it open before soundlessly moving through her room.

She had a ton of books, he wasn't surprised honestly, but he felt this could be problematic as he felt the X burning hotter. A muffled moan from the bed had his head snapping over to there where he saw her sprawled out. Tensing for a moment he waited, she didn't wake, he turned his attention back to finding the book.

The picture he had already told him what he was looking for but the question was where she'd put it. His eyes scanned over the shelves swiftly, and then he looked around them just to make certain. Turning back to the giant bed he noticed the books on the nightstands and he cautiously moved to inspect them.

Not here, moving to the other stand, the one which put him closer to Raven he found what he was looking for.

The X was searing hot now, and he could now feel pushes against him; he was assuming it was her magic.

His hand grabbed the book and he looked over at her.

Dark eyes were wide and staring at him, he tensed.

* * *

She had woken up feeling a push on the magic in her room, an invasion of urgent emotions on her open psyche, and now she was staring into a set of white optics on a skull mask with a red X slashed over an eye.

For a moment, her brain was stunned to even see him; she'd thought he was dead, but then the fury built up that he was in her room.

"Miss me sunshine?" his cocky modulated voice asked as he grabbed her Azarath book and bolted.

The exhaustion she felt flew out the window as she tore after him in her pajamas. Fuck! Was her only thought, her powers surged through her as they went to the roof.

"STOP!" she roared, her fear of her book, and what it held filling her as the shadows came to life, X turned to her and gave a mock salute as he fell off the side of the building, she ran and dove after him.

He couldn't get away!

The Nevermore was in that book!

She watched him disappear in thin air but her empathy was latched onto him as she flew low to follow where he reappeared.


	5. Just A Rae of Sunshine

Landing on his bike he turned to see the demon chasing after him and he smirked beneath his mask as he revved the engine and tore down the driveway between the tower and the city. He was expecting shouts, curses and overall… more racket but as he flew into the city he stared at the blurring lights as he zipped by. However, the shadows caught his attention as they seemed to come to life and were chasing him, he pressed his bike harder then, going as fast as he possibly could.

A raven chased after him which startled him for a second but as he turned into the alley he noted that it was still Raven as her magic carried her.

"Get back here X!" she roared, he leapt off his speeding bike when the black powers of Raven grabbed it and yanked it from him. He rolled to his feet as he threw two x's at her, Raven flew up, her powers surging around her as they threw his x's off course. Taking advantage her momentary distraction, he ducked into a warehouse.

"RED!" she roared. He took to the rafters then as he tucked his prize away in a small nook and he perched himself to see where she could come in.

There was a surge of her black magic as it threw open the doors and broke the windows, the young woman stalked in. he smirked, she was still in her jammies, and as her power flew rampant around her he noticed something else as the air around him chilled.

The girl lifted her face to look at him and he smirked, her four eyes were brilliant, glowing, red, she snarled and he saw her fangs.

"Well I must say that this is a lot of effort for little ol'me, sunshine," he chuckled. She growled and her magic sliced through his perch, he leapt as hit the second level docks and rolled to his feet. His hands had x's again and he threw them as he charged her. Raven swiped her arm wide as a dome rolled over her, the x's bounced off harmlessly, but he knew that she'd deflect them.

"Give Me Back The Book!" she charged him, he leapt up, her hand glowed black, he gasped as her magic surged out of her hand, catching his ankle and slammed him into the ground, creating a crater. The air was knocked out of him, leaving him momentarily stunned as he gasped, desperately for something.

"Fuck!" he gasped.

"The Book Red!" Raven snarled as she stood over him, her hands grabbed his vest as she hoisted him up, eye level and he found himself staring into four, glowing, furious red eyes as the shadows around her pulsed, and her own power washed over him in a suffocating matter. It burned, it froze, it brought hell, and it was crushing him.

"Sorry sunshine," he smirked and his thumb pressed a button on his belt. The electricity coursed, Raven screamed as she writhed in agony, and collapsed atop him. For a second he just lay where he was, trying to catch his breath, trying to regain some equilibrium and breathing. Fuck, that was a few bruised ribs, and his back…

Shoving the collapsed form of Raven off him he sat up and looked at her seeing her unmoving before he grabbed his cuffs and scooped her up. Perhaps pissing off the most powerful Titan; and the most powerful magician he knew of, off wasn't his brightest idea as he sat her up against a post and handcuffed her there.

Raven's head sagged, she didn't even wake and he groaned as he stood up and rolled his shoulder before he teleported up to where the book was hidden and landed at Raven's feet again. She was out, down for the count so to speak. Groaning in exasperation and pain he decided that if she wasn't out of here by noon he'd call her team and give them her location. The slumped form of Raven shivered and he shrugged off his coat and smirked. Pulling out a slip of paper (he was notorious for taking notepads and post-its with him everywhere; call it the Bat's training, the need to write notes and jot shit down), he quickly jotted down a note, signed it in red ink with an X and then stuck it to her brow.

Smirking he chuckled before he walked out of the warehouse, glared at the bike Sunshine had ruined for him, then he teleported. Landing on the rendezvous point for him and his client he rolled his shoulder again, pulling out a phone he kept his voice modulator on.

"I got it, be here in an hour," he growled before hanging up and sitting for a second. Holy fuck he forgot how much Raven could hurt! A smile pulled at his lips, a true smile, and he decided that one of these days; not a day on the job when he let the Titans catch him, he'd have to test out just how powerful Raven really was. Raven was sort of the Titan's last line of defense, he knew that, and he always found it interesting. What would drive all the other Titans to keep her back, what made her so powerful?

Oh, he knew that she was a half demon, and he knew that Raven kept herself in the back, preferring to be passive, rather than aggressive. But he supposed he'd just encountered an aggressive version of Raven. The thought of going toe to toe with her for real had him thinking he'd need to don his Red Hood persona instead of Red X, opening his eyes he let out a shuddering breath. He'd think about fighting Raven for real later; way later, right now, he had to focus and do his job.

The image of her in her pajamas though was strangely distracting, wouldn't she have thought to wear her uniform and call for back up from her fellow Titans? What was so fucking important about her book that she would chase him in her pajamas? He frowned as he pulled out the heavy leather-bound book and looked it over, it didn't seem special. Shoving the distraction from his mind, he let his head rest against the wall.

For now, he'd just breath and hope to God that she was still out while he set up traps for his client just in case there was a double cross.

* * *

To be honest, Damian did not like his peers. He found them stupid, irrational, and irritating. However, they had grown on him, not that he was every going to say that. Mostly Raven had grown on him, he liked her company, found it calming and soothing, and she seemed to understand him best. He was never pressured by Raven to 'talk' or be more social, she would let him be. But what bothered him most was the mystery around his eldest brother's friend, there was something about Raven which bothered him and while he accepted that part of her, he found it a bit vexing that he couldn't figure it out.

Also, she had seen in his head, well, 'felt' according to her, and she hadn't turned away from him. Raven was odd, she had healed him, seen in his head, and she had acted as if it were nothing. Grayson said Raven had done something similar for him, taking some obsession of his and helping him with it. And while Damian hadn't been thrilled to have Raven in his head he'd been relieved to have someone who just accepted him. Grayson tried, and his father was… well, Bruce was Bruce, and Drake was a pain in the ass, and no one seemed to just accept him for him, and it was so confusing in his head.

Raven was a calming force to be around and he liked that about her. She was level-headed, and didn't do rash, stupid, impulsive things.

Which was why when he had looked out his window and seen her diving off the Tower he had bolted to the window.

She was flying, and she was going just as fast as Star did, and Raven never did that. then he'd seen the motorcycle and it had him striping and yanking on his Robin gear as he ran to the elevator and to the garage. Raven was up to something, he was going to find out what.

Leaping up he straddled Grayson's bike and tugged on a helmet before he looked over at Drake's bike and thought it over a second before revving the engine of Grayson's bike and blasting out of the garage while shouting his clearance at the computer so it opened the garage for him.

He paused momentarily when he lost sight of Raven and whoever she was chasing as he cautiously started riding through the city on alert.

The pulse of dark magic which nearly knocked him off his bike had him swerving down an alley as he headed for the warehouses. Then all of the black magic stopped, this was not good.

* * *

"Ow," she moaned as her head fell back and the pain from being electrocuted reminded her why she hated Red X so much. Red X, her eyes snapped open at the memory and she stared at the dawn filtering through the window she had shattered last night. Her eyes widened at the sight and she snarled. Rage pulsed through her and she could feel it quickly tearing at her threads of control.

No! Her mind screamed as she quickly locked her emotions and rage away. She couldn't be emotional right, she had to keep her mind clear and level. Her powers surged and she knew she was bound. Closing her eyes, she pulled her legs up and folded them as she took a steadying breath.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she murmured as she let her powers settle and felt them lightly slip through her blood and body until she found her bounds. Whispering her chant she felt herself levitate slowly as her magic slid over the metal, her mind focused on the lock.

Her ear twitched hearing a bike's engine, but she kept focused as her magic broke the lock. The bindings fell behind her and she pulled her wrists up as she rubbed them and stood up, her hands catching the leather which had been covering her and she frowned noticing the post it on her brow for the first time. the glue lightly tugged at her skin as she pulled it off and looked at the note then.

"Raven!" a voice shouted and she looked up as she yanked the jacket on and shoved the note in the pocket just as the morning chill caught her. Fucking Red X.

Her tired eyes settled on the youngest Robin jogging to her, she rubbed her temple and sighed, she was bombarded by the conflicting, intense emotions of Damian and she smiled slightly.

There was one very unique thing about Damian compared to his brothers and father, and it drove his brothers nuts, but she found it endearing: Damian felt everything to extremes, he didn't do halfway or confusing emotions. He might not always figure out how he was feeling but there was nothing small about what he felt, if he liked someone he liked them with everything he had, and if he hated someone he hated them with everything he had. It was endearing to Raven because it left her with a black and white standing ground with the kid, versus everyone else who had middle ground and grey areas and ambiguous intentions. And Raven knew she was of the few Damian liked.

"it's nothing," she assured the boy as she walked to him, noticing all the glass then and decided to fly a bit. She really had lost control last night.

"It's not nothing, I've been searching these docks all night!" the boy snapped as she floated near him.

"Damian, leave it be," she warned in a hard tone and she'd have sworn his eyes were narrowing on her behind that mask of his.

"What happened!? I saw your magic, and you were chasing someone, who and why?" the boy persisted as they exited the warehouse.

"I need to talk to Victor, but the moment I have it sorted out I will tell you what that was," she assured him. Red X on top of everything else, it wasn't looking good, especially with what Cyborg had shown her yesterday. Sighing she dragged her hands through her hair and her eyes settled on Nightwing's bike which had her lifting her brows as she looked over to the boy, who glared at her. Damian's relief and frustrations and suspicions were all slamming into her, but she was relieved not to feel any mistrust from him.

"Promise?" he growled.

"Yes," she assured him.

"I'm out of gas," he stated.

"That's alright, this will be easier and not attract all that much attention," she sighed. Noticing for the first time she was standing in a huge man's t-shirt, a man's leather jacket, and her night shorts, she looked like the harlot Damian had called her when he had first come here with Dick.

"Who were you chasing?" Damian demanded.

"Damian, I will tell you everything you need to know about last night after I talk to Victor," she stated again as she lifted her hand, the boy straddled his bike and frowned. Raven felt her powers again as they slowly woke and slid through her arm, she projected in her mind where she wanted to go, as she opened a portal to the garage, Damian rode through first and she walked into the garage then. Her fingers were toying with the note X had left her, and she knew she was going to have to track his sorry ass down and have him tell her where that book had gone.

She was going to need Nightwing's file on Red X then…

Groaning she shut her eyes as she and Damian walked out of the garage.

"You look like a harlot," Damian stated, yanking her out of her thoughts. Raven folded her arms then as she leveled a glare at the boy. "And you smell like whiskey."

"Damian, first of all, I am wearing pajamas, second, I am not a harlot, and third, it's the jacket," she stated. She had gone to bed intending not to wake until her alarm, but it appeared that Red X had other plans.

"I'm just saying," the boy shrugged innocently and she frowned. Bats! They drove her batshit crazy!

"Raven! Damian! Where were you!?" both their heads snapped up when a furious orange Tamarian princess and a redheaded Barbara Gordon appeared. Raven cringed feeling the emotions rolling off them in waves.

"Raven slept flew, I followed," Damian lied. Raven glared at the boy but didn't counter his claim since she needed to talk to Cyborg more than Star at this moment and she didn't need Kori's concern and worries drowning her. Victor was the one who could help her at this moment.

"What!?" Star gaped at her.

"It's a long story, Damian go join the team for breakfast," Raven said.

"But!"

"Go, we will talk later," she assured and watched him stalk off, her empathy tracking him until he was in the dining room.

"The sensors in your room read with you and another there," Barbara stated.

"Yes," Raven submitted.

"Care to tell us who your late-night visitor was?" Barbara leveled.

"Are you doing the courtship with someone, Raven?" Kori asked her sincerely.

"No one you know, and no Star, I am not being courted or courting," Raven huffed indignantly and felt her friend's playful teasing dashed.

"If you are perhaps I can meet him!?" Star continued.

"No, and if I was actually dating someone, no," Raven stated. Kori giggled, and Raven knew her friend was aiming to get a rise out of her.

"Was that all it was Raven?" Barbara asked.

"Far from it," Raven shrugged. "Do you know where Victor is?"

"The gym," Star answered as she sauntered off.

"Thanks Kori!" Raven called out as she started walking for the gym when a hand caught her arm, Raven looked down at Barbara then.

"If this person is a security threat…" Barbara started.

"It's not something to worry about," Raven lied. "I'm going to handle this problem," she admitted.

"Raven," the redhead warned.

"Barbara, if Bruce Wayne can trust me with his sons, and Dick trusts me with his mind and life, I suggest you start trying to trust me because I'm not talking about this any further," Raven stated. She didn't dislike Barbara, she didn't, but she found the woman's blatant lack of trust in her annoying. And feeling all that mistrust this morning was maddening.

Pulling away Raven walked towards the gym and pulled out X's note.

_-You look cold, keep the jacket as compensation for the book. I won't hold back next time, 'till next time Sunshine!_

_-X_

Growling at the arrogant scrawl she tucked the note in the pocket again as she finally reached the gym and watched for a moment as Victor ran through a simulation with Jaime. Raven tucked her feet up as she folded her legs and waited for the boys as they worked the simulation.

Red X had the Nevermore, Raven was foreseeing a lot of coming trouble.

She didn't know if he knew what was or wasn't in the Azarath book, but she also knew that if he did accidentally pull the Nevermore out that it would be very bad. Losing the book was bad enough; not only was it the last thing of her home dimension she had linking her to her people, but because aside from what was stored in it, it was powerful magic. And if done improperly…

Even if it was Light Magic rather than Dark Magic, it was hazardous.

"Woo-hoo! High Score!" Jaime shouted, dragging Raven from her worries for a moment.

"Wow, someone actually beat Dick's score," Victor chuckled.

"That's awesome! I'm going to get breakfast," Jaime shouted as he jogged past her and Cyborg stopped before he passed her.

"Uh… Raven? Normally the creepy shadow thing you do can be overlooked, but will you please get rid of the red eyes!" Victor snapped and Raven shook her head as she stood.

"Sorry, long night," she sighed.

"I can see, who's jacket?" he asked.

"Red X's," she admitted as she hugged it to herself feeling a chill creep up her spine.

"WHAT!?" Victor shouted.

"Yeah, Cy… I have a problem," she winced internally.

"Raven, what is going on?" Victor demanded.

"Can we go talk in my room," she murmured, knowing that with the cameras and audio all over the Tower the only safe places were the private quarters.

"Uh… sure," he looked a bit miffed and she walked to the elevator with him. The silence wasn't heavy but all the concerns she felt rolling off of Cyborg was nauseating. But not as nauseating as the knowledge that Red X had her mind in his possession. After the last time someone had messed with the Nevermore she wasn't happy about it missing. Walking off the elevator she walked straight to her quarters, waving her wards off as she let Cyborg pass into her room.

"Now, Raven, this is creepy even for you, what's going on?" Cyborg demanded the moment she shut her door.

"Red X was here last-night," she admitted as she walked to her closet and found a heavy sweatshirt, shrugging out of the coat she handed it to Victor as she tugged the hoodie on. "He took a book of mine."

"What!? I thought that wasn't possible with all the wards you have here keeping us out," Victor snapped as he started scanning and examining the jacket.

"I do, but it's not impossible to get in here if you have the right magic. He had an amulet on and he was in here, but even I could feel it breaking," she surmised.

"What book did he take?" Cy asked as he tossed the coat on her bed.

"Azarath, but… that's not all he got," she muttered.

"Raven?" he stared at her and she bit her lip then.

"He's got the Nevermore, I was storing all of my dangerous relics in it, and it was stored in the book and now…" Raven sighed, unable to continue. Her friend, her elder brother really, had paled significantly then.

"H-H-He's g-g-got That!" Victor stammered.

"Yes, which is… disconcerting," she grumbled as she sat on her bed, her knee bouncing in irritation at the situation she found herself in.

"Rae, we got to tell Dick!"

"No! Only you, me and Beast Boy know about what the Nevermore is, I do not need Dick finding it and falling into my head!" she hissed. She loved Dick like a brother, but sometimes he was too fucking curious for his own good.

"Oh fuck," Cy sat on her bed then.

"Yup, I need you to help me, I need to find X before he loses my mind, or worse, falls into it," Raven said.

"Raven, I can't find him, I've tried," Victor said.

"I know, but I can, I need you to take the kids today, I need to meditate," she said.

"Uh…"

* * *

"Are you certain we should have left the Titans?" KF asked him as he stared down at the roof.

"It'll be fine," he shrugged. Here they were, staring at a normal lab building and Dick could only feel uneasy. He'd left the Titan's with Raven in charge, and that was always a wise move, but he wasn't too certain how the new recruits and everything was going, and he hadn't heard anything about it.

"Yeah, but it's Raven, man, you know how she is. Gloomy, anti-social, and a temper," he said.

"You just described Batman and Wolverine," Dick pointed out to his snacking friend as they continued to surveil Cadmus. Why this was on Bruce's radar was beyond Dick at this moment as he frowned and looked the building over then looked at the schematics for the building. Something about this wasn't sitting quite right with him, and he didn't know what it was about this place, but there was something off.

"Not the point, she's not the best welcome committee out there," Wally pointed out.

"Raven will handle this fine," Dick pointed out.

"I get it, she's great in the field, I don't think I've ever seen her lose her composure, even in the worst of a battle, she's calm. But she's so not the best pick for a recruiter," KF informed him.

"Hey, KF, I wouldn't have left her in charge if she wasn't the best pick for a leader," Nightwing defended.

"Yeah, Yeah," Kid Flash waved off. "Anything happening!? I'm bored. This is worse than English."

"You failed English," he pointed out to Wally.

"I know, but this is so boring!? Why isn't the League handling this? Isn't this a League sort of mission?" Wally demanded.

"Batman didn't say why the League wasn't handling this, just that he didn't want Superman near this," Nightwing muttered.

"Why not? Big Blue is helpful," KF pointed out.

"I don't know, just that this is something to do with Luther, and where Luther's concerned…" Nightwing shrugged.

"Do you smell smoke?" Wally asked.

"Yeah," Dick admitted as he scanned over the building before alarms were blaring.

"Time to get to work!" Wally grinned.

"No wait!" he shouted as his friend ran off. Kid Flash bolted back in front of him.

"What!?"

"Let's go," Dick sighed.

"That's what I thought, come on, I hear sirens," Kid Flash smirked and bolted again. Dick was seriously wishing he'd asked Speedy to come instead of Wally, at least Roy wasn't running off without him.

Running to the burning building he looked up as the flames engulfed the building and people were screaming.

Time to get to work and investigate Cadmus.

* * *

Looking at his bank account he felt a satisfaction of knowing that he was doing fine on his own without his trust fund or the help of the Bat clan. True he was using his skills for illegal activities but as a kid of the streets he knew it was best to use what he had and improvise the rest.

Which was why he was very relieved that this job hadn't had a major fuck ups and he was now walking up the stairs of his apartment and thinking over what he was going to cook for breakfast. God how he missed Alfred and Alfred's cooking at times, but he didn't let that slow him as he unlocked the door to his apartment and walk in.

He'd never been a very cluttered person, call it his background, call it paranoia, or whatever, but he had never had much in the way of stuff. Especially after… well, everything and now he was living here. kicking his door shut he flipped the two deadbolts, a safety bar, and door lock and flipped the chain before he dropped the keys on the side table and his pack on a chair before walking to his kitchen.

His place was simple, open, and clean. A mess was something which truly irritated him, and about the only thing he splurged in, aside from weapons, was his kitchen supplies. He liked good food, and food in his fridge, it was something he actually felt slightly obsessed about. But after years on the streets he liked knowing he had food in his fridge and it was good stuff, not stale, had to cut off mold, or sour. Walking into his kitchen, he pulled open his fridge and pondered what to have for breakfast. Slowly he settled on waffles. It seemed like a good, easy fix.

Settling about the soothing task of cooking he worked efficiently as he tried not to wonder overly much about the book he had stolen out of Raven's room. A job was a job, he was not usually one to dwell on his jobs.

Muttering to himself as he put the batter on the waffle iron he went about fixing some coffee and syrup for his breakfast.

He didn't know why he was so fucking interested in a book, it was just a book! But he was now very curious about it and he figured he'd be doing a bit of research on it now that it was on his mind. Not a fun realization, but he figured there were worse things to obsess about out there.

It had to be a Bat trait, the obsession, he didn't think he had ever obsessed about anything other than being warm and having food before he'd been sucked into Bruce's life. Pulling his waffles onto a plate he got the syrup and sat at his table as he pulled out his laptop to start the real research as to what the hell that book could have been.

* * *

Raven had taken her shower, not taking to having the scent of whiskey on her, and changed into her uniform before walking up to the roof on Titan Tower. Sitting down she stared out at her city and felt her eyes narrow on it.

Somewhere in that city was her mind, and it was not something she could sense; however, she'd gotten a good read on X's emotions, and she was going to find him. the empathy was a good trick to possess, and now it was time for her to do an old trick she hadn't needed to do since her revival of Terra.

Closing her eyes she took a settling breath as she composed herself, settling her mind as she settled her hands in position for the projecting and felt herself start levitating. Her magic flared around her, as her empathy projected and she sensed everyone in the tower. She wasn't in danger here, she reminded herself, and she needed to do this to get her mind back.

It would be very bad if the Nevermore fell into the wrong hands, her stomach felt thick and greasy at the mere thought of someone poking around her mind and finding her last link to Trigon, even accidentally.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she murmured, and she felt her mind settle from churning thoughts to clear. Focusing on her spirit and her breathing she carefully started projecting herself as she used her empathy to seek Red X out. There was something about him she knew to seek, it was a connection, a darkness, she had felt it only in a few and she knew what it was as her mind started checking everyone in the city over for it.

Raven was seeking the Lazurus Pit's aura…

* * *

"He retrieved the book," she said as she pulled off the black wig and walked towards him.

"Good. Was he paid?"

"In full."

"Good, eliminate him."

"Of course."


	6. And This is Why I'm Not in Charge

Victor Stone, he'd admit that eight years ago, when Darkseid had taken to invading Earth and whatever happened to him had happened, he had thought his life was officially over. All his dreams of University, the Pros… it was all gone. And for a while he had thought he had found his place with the Justice League, but it turned out the moment that the crisis was over he was alone. He was back to being a sixteen year old cyborganic freak, one of a kind, and his father's pet project. It sucked. Then there was everything with Atlantis and Victor accepted that he was never going to be accepted anywhere outside the hero world. Even the odd Billy Baxton fit in the civilian and hero world; for that Victor envied the kid, truly envied the kid.

Which was part of why he left, left his father, his home, his city, and the Justice League. He didn't fit in anywhere and at sixteen he had been done with not fitting. He had come to San Francisco, because that was where all the weirdos and whackos lived (well, here, New York, Las Vegas, and Gotham, but here was furthest from his father), got a job as a mechanic and intended to just fade away.

What he never expected was to be dragged into a team by a twerp who had been Batman's protégé, and find a home. Garfield was his best friend, the green dude was filter broken, genuine, and caring; but more than that Garfield was accepting and never bugged him about being a cyborg. Starfire, Kori, his best girl friend, was an alien princess from another world; she didn't even know that here he was weird. Robin, now Nightwing, Dick, had just shrugged and said there was weirder out there; Dick was a great pal to have.

However, the only one Cyborg dared to take in the family way, and even going so far as to shout she was his sister, was Raven. Raven he understood, and she understood him, it was as easy to be around her, as it was frustrating, but she caught on fast. Ever since that first car they had rebuilt together he had found a little sister. And there was nothing he wouldn't do for her: harass unworthy suitors, glare at boys staring at her, hang with her in the garage, complain, listen, annoy, and prank (lots of pranks). She in turn told him everything; there were no secrets between them, it was the only rule, and while she had the empathy link with Dick, she had secrets from him too. Victor and Raven had none of those, it was their sacred rule and what had made them more than friends. It was also why he was her second in command.

Actually, now that Victor thought about it, Raven was more of Team Leader than anyone in the Titans organization. Dick tried but between Blüdhaven, Gotham, the Titans, the League, and the entire Batclan, he was stretched thin and Raven often came through to pick up the slack on Dick's part. And Raven did a damn good job keeping them all together, Dick of sound mind, the Titans in one piece, and the world safe. It wasn't easy for Raven to be seen as a leader, but she was the defacto leader, and he her right hand by default.

And right now, Victor's little sister had a problem at the moment which was why he was fully willing, and able, to take over Raven's team; well his team too, but Raven was Team Leader.

Walking into the gym after talking to Raven he looked over the files of the kids on Raven's Team:

Jaime and Damian he knew, knew very well as he had been trying to help them out with their training. However it was the rest of the line up which had him arching his brown and rubbing his temple. Raven and his' team consisted of:

-M'gann M'orzz

-Timothy Drake

-Stephanie Brown

-Kaldur'ahm

-Bart Allen

On the bright side, Terra had been put on Star's team, which meant Raven and he didn't have to deal with her, but everyone else on this team… oh brother. They were going to have their hands full with the younger spectrum of the recruits.

"Where is Raven?" a voice had him jumping slightly as he spun around to look at one of the resident ninjas of the Bat clan.

"Don't do that Damian! Nearly short circuited me," Victor groaned.

"I apologize," the boy reluctantly grumbled and Victor smirked. Raven had taken to Gibbs' slapping the younger kids when they had no manners; and Gar when he had no common sense, and her training appeared to be working. "Where is Raven?"

"She's looking for someone," he admitted.

"What is going on with her?" Damian asked, Victor frowned a bit. Damian had become unusually attached to Raven, quickly too because of the incident when Jaime's armor hadn't taken to Damian's attitude well and blasted the young Robin.

"Why don't you ask her?"

"She said she would tell me only after speaking with you, and since you are here I presume you know what is going on with her and can debrief me," Damian stated.

"Dude! I'm not taking your word on this matter, and if Raven should wish to discuss what's going on with her she will tell you herself, or better yet go ask her!"

"You and Raven are very close, are you not?" Damian asked. Anyone else the question would be innocent but it was Damian Wayne asking.

"She's my little sister," he grounded out.

"I presume through adoption then," Damian muttered.

"Heyguys! Readyfor training!" Bart shouted appearing then and Victor had never felt more relieved seeing the kids filing in.

"Where is Raven?" M'gann asked as she floated in.

"Raven's dealing with something right now so I'm in charge!" Cyborg announced.

"No way! Yes!" Jaime bounced then and Victor frowned; it was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Whoa!" Wally shouted as they slid into a vault on the lower levels, Project Kr. The door shut and sealed shut then, Dick let out a shuddering breath as he hugged his ribs. Fuck this hurt! He had not been expecting… well, any of this!

"Next time Bats asks a favor of us the answer is no, N-O, in capitals!" Wally blurted out.

"I don't think he was intending to run into this…" Dick tried to defend. Honestly it was like something out of a bad sci-fi film. Monster, giant, small, razor clawed, telepathic, and electric had been roaming all about, these leaves were even mushy and a bit organic, and honestly Dick did not want to know what other surprises were laying in these levels.

"Whoa, um… dude, you're going to want to see this," Wally said. Reluctantly Dick looked up, his ribs singing in protest as he stood then and moved to where Wally was, there was pounding on the other side of the vault door but that wasn't what had his undivided attention. No, what had his attention was now before him.

"Holy…" Dick trailed off.

"That can't be…" Wally started, Dick was hunched over the control panel then as his fingers flew over the keys, his eyes scanning the data as he worked.

"The Superboy," Dick informed Wally. "Weapon designation. A clone force grown in sixteen weeks! From DNA acquired from Superman. Solar suit allows him to absorb solar radiation twenty-four-seven."

"More like stole!" Wally argued.

"Well, now we know why Bats was keeping Supes out of it," Nightwing muttered as he looked at the young boy who looked about seventeen or eighteen. Honestly it was freaking him out staring at this boy and seeing Clark there.

"We can't leave him," Wally pointed out.

"Agreed," Nightwing muttered as he continued his hacking to break the kid out of the container he was in. There was no way in hell he was leaving a kid here to be raised as a weapon, it was what had happened to Damian and it was taking a family effort to try to straighten Damian out.

"Uh… the door?" Wally whispered.

"Already disabled," he smirked.

"Don't do the creepy laugh thing or I'll call Raven," Wally warned.

"When we get communications and out of here, I'm calling her here to get us the hell out of here!" Dick countered.

"Why?"

"She teleports, it's an easy escape and a fast way to get the kid," he gestured to the Superboy clone. "To the Tower."

"Well then hurry up on the hacking!" Wally hissed as the door rattled dangerously then. Nightwing frowned as he worked, there was something bothering him about this. However, he'd discussing it with the Titans after he got the hell out of here!

"Get him!" Dick shouted as the pod opened then. a blur of yellow caught the falling boy just as the doors blasted open.

* * *

Damian looked over the other idiots he was now going to be on a team with and he felt like gouging his eyes out. This wasn't going to be… whatever it was supposed to be. Groaning internally he thought about what Victor was saying about how they were going to be working in a team and they would be a unit with their own missions without League guidance or supervision.

He knew all this which was why he stealthily slipped out of the gym leaving the losers behind.

Mostly he was curious about whatever was going on with Raven; he had never seen her move so fast. And he'd seen her in battle. Riding up the express elevator he came to the roof and poked his head out, he was surprised that Barbara hadn't spotted him sneaking around the tower and trapped him somewhere then summon Raven to collect him. Dick had done that a week after bringing him here.

Looking around he spotted Raven levitating just off the edge of the roof.

"What are you doing?" he demanded as he walked over to the edge. Raven didn't look at him.

"I'm seeking out a person," Raven answered flatly.

"What happened last night?" Damian demanded sharply as he glared at her and folded his arms. Raven turned around so she was now floating across from him and then she stepped onto the ledge.

"Last night an old… pain, decided to resurface and broke into my room," Raven answered.

"I thought that wasn't possible," he grounded.

"It's not impossible, it's just exceedingly difficult. I am not surprised that of all the people on this planet he'd be the one to get around my wards and magic," Raven shrugged.

"Who was he?" Damian demanded. He felt a cold fury filling him with curiosity as he listened to Raven.

"That is what I am figuring out," Raven said calmly.

"Do you require assistance?" he asked, malicious delight filling him at the anticipation of a fight.

"No," Raven stated.

"Why are you after him?"

"Because he stole something which is genuinely irreplaceable, and I need it back," Raven answered.

"Then you do need an assistant!" Damian argued.

"Go train with the team, Damian, I will handle it, it's personal," Raven shrugged.

"But!"

"I will tell Dick that you skipped training with the team," she warned, he shuddered at the thought.

"Fine, but if you are not finished with this by the end of tonight I will tell Grayson and demand to help you," he warned as he stalked off.

"This isn't his fight, it's mine, and you'd be wise to stay out of it," she murmured as he walked into the elevator. Damian pressed the button to the gym and watched as Raven leapt off the edge and started levitating again.

Truthfully this was one of the things he found irritating about Raven, the entire independence and demand to work in a team. It was as if Raven had another set of secret responsibilities; it was annoying to be left in the dark about them too.

* * *

Raven settled again as she again centered her mind and spirit and again focused. Her breathing was steady, her heart slow, her mind empty and her shields were down as she started again focusing on the emotions and filtering them out. She was focused on something specific as she worked. Stretching her mental wings, she flew through the city, her mind touching everyone. Everyone was unique, she was focusing on a particular flavor of emotions.

It was something few outside of Hell possessed, and when she encountered it, it was something she filed away for later worries.

The Lazurus Pit, for all it gave, it also took, but something particular that it gave to it's victims was a particular emotion. Ra's al Ghul had been drowning in it, lost to the Pit, his daughter had it, Oliver Queen also had it, as did his sister, Thea. Raven never liked feeling what the Lazurus Pit left in others, it was something closer to what her kin were like, bloodlust, the anger, the fury, the uncontrollable red nature. It was like her own rage or her father, it did not scare her, but it was wild, uncontrollable, and unstable. But worse, it was something which twisted the mind, the heart and the soul.

Raven did not like the Lazarus Pit, but the ones who had been healed by it varied. Opening her eyes she felt a surge of her powers as she reached out and felt the pull of the Lazarus Pit.

Her mind and emotions reaching for the pulse of the Lazarus Pit she continued familiarizing herself with the young man. His emotions were coiled, guarded, she pried as she looked for a latch so she could pull herself there.

Standing in the air she reached a hand, felt her powers slip through her blood to the tip of her fingers as she opened the shadows and let them consume her as she latched onto the Lazurus Pit.

* * *

Everything he'd been researching about that fucking book revealed nothing as he read up on everything the JL had on Azarath. Funny, he'd have thought there'd been more.

Sighing his head fell back on his couch as he stared at his ceiling.

Fuck it, it wasn't important, and he'd been paid to do a job. A job he had done.

It was over, he was not going to be like the Bird Brains or like Bats, nope, it was not happening. Obsessing got him killed; literally and figuratively, and he was not ready for the return trip to Hell. Standing up he walked to his kitchen as he glanced at the stove time, it was around ten in the morning. Two more hours before he checked on Sunshine to make sure she was out of the warehouse.

Picking up his latest book he decided he would not worry about Azarath or anything about the previous job, as he started making a sandwich and looking through the list of available jobs.

There was an itch in his skin which had him wanting to kill something, frowning he thought it over. It wasn't like he was bound to the same morals as the Bird Brains or Bats, he had killed before. His only problem was the black outs. The black outs concerned him, and it made him avoid taking hits; for now.

No one knew he was alive, no one knew he was here, and no one was coming after him, he'd like to keep it that way for the time being as he planned out what he would do next. Black outs where he woke with everyone dead were not conducive to keeping a low profile. And if Bats found out he was alive… well, he had no desire to go to Arkham unless he was killing a particular clown. But until he had his head on straight(ish), and he didn't have a panic attack just hearing the laugh on the television, he wasn't going near Joker.

Yet.

Sighing he decided he hated having to wait on his revenge again because his mind raced back to the fifteen year old he had been whenever he heard the Joker laugh.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he had a gun in hand, turning he saw a small shadow circle on his wall.

_**FUCK!** _

He didn't freeze, but everything happened so fast he was slammed back as a small force hit him.

* * *

She'd been paid to impersonate a magician, she'd been paid to deceive a young man who would recognize her anymore, and she was now being paid to kill him.

It was a very good thing she had known who she was hiring to steal that book. Now she was looking down the scope of her rifle her mind cold as her eyes looked over the windows of the young man's hide out.

Her eyes tracked him as he walked through his home, he grabbed a gun, and then there was a flurry of motion, her head snapped up as her eyes widened a fraction then she focused again. Looking through the scope she saw the young man she'd once known and a woman fighting.

A light breeze had her adjusting as she took another steadying breath and let her finger rest on the trigger.

It was just a job.

It was just someone she used to know.

It meant nothing.

Cold filled her, her mind cleared and she squeezed the trigger. Her sight on the center of the young man's back. Glass shattered, there was blood, she fired five more times, there was nothing. Pulling away she looked at the building without her scope. Smoke started billowing through the shattered window and she looked back through her scope.

He was good.

She knew, she had trained him.

But she was better. There was a flash, she gasped as bullets flew past her head and she dove behind a wall.

* * *

" _ **Give Me Back The Book!**_ " Raven shouted, his gun clattered out of his hand as he grabbed her wrists. She snarled ferally, but he knew he had the upper hand.

" _ **I gave it to the buyer!**_ " he snapped.

" _ **Who!?**_ " Raven roared, her leg lashed out to catch his bad ribs, he grunted as he stumbled, releasing one of her wrists. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she shouted.

Her black energy filled his apartment as pans started flying at his head, he jerked her around as he avoided them.

Glass broke behind him, then there was a whistle of something slicing through the air before there was a sharp sting of something tearing through his shoulder. Spinning Raven around, her back to his chest he dove over his couch for cover and he saw her energy stop. There were more shots, Raven flinched as he tightened his grasp on her as shit splintered and his couch was shredded.

"What the hell!?" he growled as he reached under his battered coffee table and grabbed a smoke bomb he had there, pulling the pin he tossed it over the couch as smoke filled the air.

"You'd bring a sniper!?" he snapped at Raven as he dragged her with him and the ducked into the small hall.

"No, I didn't know who or where you were until two minutes ago!" she snapped.

"Fucking double crossing buyers!" he hissed, ignoring the burn in his shoulder he ripped open a side panel he had tucked his rifle case in and pulled out the gun. Assembling it quickly he loaded it before looking at Raven.

"Stay put," he growled.

"What!?" she gasped he moved to his kitchen and settled his riffle on his island bar as he scanned for wherever the shot came from.

He found what he was after, his eyes narrowed and he opened fire. The return fire came after he stopped.

* * *

Raven opened her fingers as she whispered her chant and she felt for the largest object in the street. She found a dumpster which was just barely within her reach as she pulled it up. The weight of it was startling but she didn't slow as she dove out of the hall and threw her hands at the window where the shots were coming from, something burning sliced her leg which had her hissing as she kept her focus on slamming the dumpster through the wall of that building.

The crashing had her gasping as she looked over to Red X.

"Well fuck," he muttered. "Come on! now they know you're here so come on!" he snapped. The man shoved past her.

"Wait! What!?"

"Come on Sunshine, we have to get out of here!" he snapped as he grabbed a bag, shoved a jacket and helmet at her, Raven reluctantly took them as he jogged out of the room, she stiffened as he grabbed her, but the pillow on the couch exploded as the glass truly shattered and then she was out the door. zipping the jacket, she pulled the helmet over her head as they ran down the stairs.

She wasn't leaving Red X until she had her book back but for now she was running because she preferred being alive.

"This way," he shouted as he tossed her his pack, she yanked it over her shoulders and secured it as she ran after him, her blood sliding down her leg. He leapt onto a black bike, she hopped on after him, her arms slipped around him as the engine roared and then they were blasting out of there.

"No powers!" he shouted over the engine.

She didn't bother to respond, using her powers would draw unwanted attention which would not be wise right at this moment. She ignored the throbbing pain of her thigh as they wove through traffic, another engine roaring like theirs caught her attention as she twisted around. There was another motorcycle, but Red already did a hard turn.

"Turn into an ally!" she shouted.

"What!?"

"Just do it!" she snapped, she threw her hand in front of them, her mind picking a city to go as she felt the energy slice through her fingers as a portal appeared, she twisted around as they flew through it and shut it just as the other biker caught up to them.

"What the fuck!?" he groaned as he skidded to a halt and then Raven noticed the blood on his shoulder, soaking through his jacket.

"Who the hell did you steal that book for!?" Raven spat as she already focused her attention on Red X and examining the wound.

"Fucking double crossing bitch apparently," he snarled.

"And it couldn't be your past client?" she asked blandly as she looked at her thigh.

"No fucking way. What the hell is so fucking important about that book anyway!?"

* * *

Dick stumbled out of Cadmus with an arm of the unconscious Superboy slung over his shoulder and Wally supporting the boy's other's side. Ripping out his communicator he flipped it on.

"Nightwing to Titans!" he shouted.

"Yo," was the answer.

"Get Raven to get us the hell out of here!" Wally shouted.

"Raven's not here at the moment, but I'll Boom-tube over and get you, I'm getting your coordinates," Cyborg replied calmly.

"Where's Raven?" Dick demanded.

"Dunno, she was looking for something, I'll be there in a sec," Cyborg answered. There was a furious roar behind them which had him and Wally groaning.

"He's still alive!? we dropped a building on him!" Wally complained.

"Come on!" Dick shouted as he started dragging the unconscious boy as fast as he could; Kyrptonians weighed a fucking ton when they were unconscious.

"What no asterous or whelmed jokes now?" Wally tried.

"So not the time!" he shouted, the giant thing which had once been a scientist roared as it leapt after them. Dick dropped Superboy then as he dove under the beast, and knocked it off balance. The thing grabbed him by the waist and hurled him into Superboy and KF which had them smashing into the rubble. The loud boom then a blaster as blinding light formed into a tunnel had Dick looking up at Cyborg.

"Thank God! We're saved!" Wally shouted and grabbed Superboy as he dove back into the Boom-tube, Dick limped after him quickly with Cyborg following. The beast stayed down.

* * *

Raven's eyes narrowed on Red X before she slid off the bike and folded her arms.

"That book was mine! And you stole it, I'm not tell you what about it is so important!" she spat. She felt his emotions rolling off him as he sat there.

"Where are we?" he decided. Raven looked up and then around her, and then she looked back at X.

"New York," she answered and poked her head out the ally to see the familiar sign. "Brooklyn to be exact."

"Alright," he sighed.

"Who'd you steal that book for and where are they?"

"Seriously?" he demanded as he took his pack from her.

"Yes! It's vital that I get that book back!" she grounded through clenched teeth. Her mind was in that book, and she was genuinely terrified of someone; whoever had hired X to steal the book, poking around and finding her mind.

"Ah, hell," he groaned.

"I'll help you, I'll heal you, if you tell me who has the book," she bargained then as she saw him tugging his jacket off and examining his wound.

"Don't bother," he countered.

"Please! It's vital that I get that book back!" she huffed, then slapped his hand away from his wound as she examined it. Clean, a through and through, he wasn't going to die, but it had to hurt. Looking through his pocket of what was clearly medical supplies she found sutures, a needle, alcohol, and a set of gauze, plus tape. His pain was distracting her, and if he could ignore it, she couldn't; which was why she threaded the needle and got to work.

"Why are you helping me?" he spat out as he tried to jerk away, she wrapped her energy around him to keep him still.

"Your pain is distracting, I need to think," she answered as she worked quickly, she was shocked that though he was sitting she was still hovering off the ground to see the wound well. His eyes were bright and familiar behind the helmet. She felt like she should know him, not just as Red X, but as something more.

Suddenly it clicked in her memory where she'd seen his face, and it had her smirking as she found the upper hand then. Since she had tracked him down she'd been trying to face his face, even if it had mostly been a blur, and the young man with her was clearly taller, but he was the same man. Both from memories and photos she'd seen. The plan started formulating in her mind, and she was relieved that he was silent as she worked.

"Help me and I will not tell them you're alive, Jason Todd," she said slowly as she knotted the suture.

* * *

They had Superboy in the med-bay, Cyborg was looking him over. Dick was getting stitches from Kori at the moment and Wally was healing his broken leg.

"Well, according to the DNA, he's partially Superman's son," Cyborg spoke then.

"Partially?" Dick asked, wincing as Kori tugged lightly on the thread.

"Yeah, it'll take longer to figure it out, but he's part Kryptonian," Cyborg answered.

"OW! Kori!" he hissed.

"Stop moving!" she snapped.

"Dick never was any good at taking his stitches," Babs announced as she rolled into the lab. "I can do it."

"I have it covered," Kori answered. He looked at Cyborg for help only to find his friend drawing Superboy's blood, and Wally found the ceiling very interesting all of a sudden.

"Where's Raven?" he asked then.

"On the roof last I checked," Barbara answered.

"She isn't," Damian appeared then looking agitated. "And her tracer isn't working."

"You put a tracer on friend Raven!?" Star shouted. Dick winced as it echoed in his skull.

"Yes."

"Damian, we talked about this," Dick sighed.

"I like knowing where my friends and enemies are, and you will thank me one day," Damian defended. Dick just groaned. The kid was going to start a war one day.

"I'll go check to see if I can find her," Babs sighed before she rolled out.

"Who's he?" Damian demanded as he walked over to Superboy.

"Uh…" Wally started. "Star do you have a communicator I can call Jinx on?"

"I will fetch it after Nightwing's stiches are complete."

"Superboy," Cyborg filled in. Damian poked the young man then, and before anyone could move or blink there was a blur of white as Cyborg threw Damian away and Superboy punched him through the wall.

"Whoa! Wait!" Star shouted as she lunged for the boy, who looked scared now.

"Easy!" Wally shouted.

"We're your friends!" Star said softly. The boy looked confused.

"We pulled you out of Cadmus, I'm Nightwing, that's Kid Flash, that's Starfire, and that's Robin, and the one you punched through the wall is Cyborg, we're not here to hurt you," Nightwing stated as he stood, wincing a bit at the pain. Now would be a good moment to have an empath, the Superboy glared at him and lunged for Damian, Star crashed into him.

* * *

Jason stiffened hearing his names off the lips of his 'elder brother's' friend. Then he slowly slid a sideways glance at her.

"Same face, the eyes, and though you're definitely way taller, more filled out, wiry muscles too, than the memories and Robin footage, you move the same. I'm surprised Dick hasn't noticed it yet," Raven smirked as she then taped pads over his wound before she leapt back and sat in thin air.

"Been a really long time since anyone called me Jason," he smirked as he pulled off his helmet. His hair flopped a bit in his eyes as he looked at Raven then.

"I bet, and I'm betting you don't want Batman to know you're alive," Raven said.

His lips curled up a bit, perhaps she wasn't all that much of a goodie-goodie if she was blackmailing him to help her. It was kind of amusing.

"And what makes you think Bats would believe you about my supposed life?"

"Because he has trusted me with all his Robins," Raven murmured. He frowned.

"You're sure about that?"

"That and I can just bring him with me the next time I have to find you, you can't hide from me."


	7. A Deal With the Devil('s Daughter)

"Blackmail? I thought Titans weren't supposed to used underhanded, sneaky, dirty, villainous techniques like that," he chuckled as he pulled a cigarette.

"They don't, demons do," she stated. He then noticed the blood sliding down her leg and dripping onto the ally pavement.

"Ah, so you're a demon, good to have that confirmed; Dr. Light mentioned that," he chuckled and lit his cigarette then. Inhaling the sweet toxin of the nicotine he looked at Raven then and noticed she had four, narrowed, angry, glowing red eyes as her energy swirled about her.

"I Want The Book Back," she growled, he felt like he was being hit by three forces simultaneously when she snarled that.

"I'm getting it back," he dismissed and Raven instantly settled. He watched as her four eyes disappeared then and he found himself looking into dark, lavender eyes which narrowed on him.

"I'm sorry, it's very important that I get the book back," she said flatly which had him sighing.

"I don't work for double crossers, so, even if you weren't blackmailing me, Sunshine, I'd be getting the fucking book back just to piss of the fucking double-crossing bitch," he growled. Jason hated double crossers, set ups, and traps; he'd died because of all that, and he sure as hell wasn't going to Hell again; yet.

"And then what would you do, if I weren't blackmailing you, with my book?" she challenged.

He shrugged then, he hadn't planned that far. More than likely his sorcerer friend would have gotten it, and in time it'd be returned to Raven. Probably. He wasn't too certain that Raven would actually get her book back, not that it really mattered. But now it mattered enough that he was willing to retrieve her book for her.

"I hadn't really planned that far ahead," he admitted.

"You would probably try to sell it to the highest bidder," she monotonously stated. He smirked, not willing to agree or disagree with that assessment; for it was an option. Raven's hand was glowing and he noticed her pressing it to her thigh as she kept her eyes trained on him. Getting up he moved her hand and looked at the wound. "What are you doing?"

"Your pain is distracting," he threw back at her. She frowned and he looked at the wound carefully, it wasn't deep, just a bleeder, and going to be a nasty bruise.

"What's in that fucking book that you're willing to blackmail me to get it?" he asked as he moved her floating form so he could work, Raven didn't swat him away surprisingly.

"I can't tell you," she monotonously stated which had him lifting a brow as he looked up at her eyes. Confliction, distrust, fury, and control all warred in eyes; he knew the look well enough from his own reflection.

"Can't or won't?" he challenged.

"Can't because it's personal; won't because I trust you about as much as I trust Robin not to kill Red Robin," she snapped. He chuckled as he bandaged her thigh.

"Fair enough," he said.

"Who hired you to get _that_ book?" she asked, her expression blank as she unfolded her legs and stood, he was startled then at her actual size. Raven was small; not tiny or fragile or anything weak like that, but her commanding presence had made him miss how small she truly was. She came up to his chest, barely, and was slight of figure rather like a ballerina, it was startling as he stared down at her; Raven was always this imposing, terrifying force, she wasn't small, however she was now. No less imposing or threatening, but now he was kind of enjoying that she wasn't so intimidating; she wasn't larger than life now.

"A League member," he admitted. Her stomach snarled and Raven frowned as her cheeks turned red. "I didn't get lunch either, come on, temporary truce, after I get that fucking book back we'll go back to hating one another."

"Truce," she muttered.

"Yeah, come on Sunshine," he zipped up his pack and shoved it at her, she yanked it on and he knew they had a pact then as he straddled his bike.

"I still don't trust you," she warned.

"I don't expect you too," he admitted as he revved the engine and Raven's arms wrapped around him as he slowly pulled his bike into traffic and rode down the street looking for a place to eat and park.

Jason was trying to figure out who had been sent to kill him as he navigated New York and pulled up to a pizza joint. Parking Raven slid off as she muttered something then pulled off her helmet, she looked human now, midnight hair, ivory skin, dark eyes. She looked odd, but he wasn't going to bring it up.

"We'll discuss a truce over a nice slice of za," he mused as he walked with her.

"I can agree to that," she said.

"None of the weird West Coast shit on the za though," he warned her. God, he was finally back east for an authentic slice; he was nearly in heaven with the notion.

"If you put anchovies on it I will send you to another dimension," she warned.

"Glad we agree on some things," he muttered. Getting their slices they took a corner seat, and he waited for Raven to start the negotiations for their truce. Until she started, he was going to enjoy the slice of pizza he had in hand and just savor the moment of being so close to home.

Yet so far, he bitterly remembered.

If Bruce knew he was still alive; and that was an if; then he wouldn't go home despite what he wanted. No, Bruce would pitch his ass in Arkham; infuriating as that fact was.

"You said a League member hired you; who?" Raven finally asked.

"Zatanna Zatara," he answered and he watched as Raven froze then. The shadows danced a bit and the air started to thin or chill. "Raven!"

* * *

The name of Zatanna being the one to steal her last relic of home, her last piece of her culture which she could access had her world narrowing. Drastically. Raven could only feel her mind, her psyche, and every emotion she usually kept securely locked away and under control, clawing to be released as her rage boiled.

"Raven!"

Her head snapped to the aquamarine eyes of Jason Todd and she took a steadying breath as her powers were reigned in. the white streak in his hair stubbornly flopped in his eyes and she focused on him for a moment as she found her center again.

"Zatanna Zatara hired you?" she murmured.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Made a big stint about it too, said you were a demon, couldn't be trusted, I had to steal that book, even had a photo of it, said it was important, balance of the world, ectara."

"And it was that book?"

"Yes," he grumbled as he continued eating. Raven suddenly found her appetite to be gone but she forced herself to eat a good slice of pizza. It'd be sacrilege in Cyborg's eyes if she didn't try to eat it.

"W-Who gave you the charm to get around my wards?" Raven murmured.

"You know a guy named John Constantine?" he asked.

"That Bastard! He Gave You The Charm To Get Into My Room!?" she hissed. She was now surprised that they hadn't been blown up or something! Azar! Could this get any worse!? Was Dr. Fate after her? Or worse… Klarion!? Had the magic community just decided that it was time to off her because she was a demon?

"He owes me a few favors, I accidentally saved his ass in England," he shrugged.

"I really hate you right now," Raven warned him.

"Truce."

"I know, but I might kill you when this is all over."

"Titans don't kill."

"You're pissing off my inner demon; which is difficult to do."

"I know an exorcist should it need to be removed," he smirked. "Or do you need a demonologist?"

"Constantine is not coming near me, or I will blast you and him into other dimensions."

"Good to know."

"If you were hired by Zatanna to get the book why is she trying to kill you; that's not the League's style," Raven pointed out as she forced herself to eat. She didn't think Zatanna could actually handle blood on her hands, Zatanna was one of those 'pure' souls. And every time Raven ran into Zatanna she didn't sense much violence or bloodlust from her; a lot of power, but not much in the dark edge department. Whereas Jason here was just oozing the very dark edge it would take to be the monster. Raven didn't mind the darkness, she was a part of it after all, but she knew when people had it and when they didn't. Zatanna didn't. Jason did, and Raven did, which was why Raven was confused.

"I don't know, but it wouldn't be the first time a League member got their hands dirty," Jason bit out bitterly. "Wouldn't be the first time they'd turn a blind eye to one going dark."

"We all have darkness in us," Raven defended. "Some know it, and live with it and try to be better. Others know it and thrive in the darkness. And others have it but they can't utilize it. Having the darkness is a fact of life, live with it, work with it, or ignore it but it's there. The League members are no different, and neither is Batman or the Batkids."

"Whatever you say Sunshine."

"Stop calling me that. Are you certain it was Zatanna who hired you?"

"I have no reason to disbelieve it was her, but I wasn't entirely certain it was her," Jason shrugged as he finished his slice and cleaned his fingers of the grease.

"Great," Raven muttered as she leant back in her seat.

"Look, I'll get the damn book back," he hugged.

"I'm going to be helping," she snapped. He frowned at her. But Raven wasn't going to waver in this. She was going to help him get her mind back, even if it killed her; which while not a pleasant thought was a reality she needed to accept. If somehow Zatanna or whoever opened the Nevermore there was a chance that they could unleash her inner demons and give her father access to this world again. A terrifying thought, but it was one which highly motivated her to just get the Nevermore back, and hide it better.

"Thanks, but no thanks, I work alone, as both Reds," he said firmly.

"I will bring you to Batman," she stated. "And if you escape me now, know I'll just bring Batman to you. I'm sure the entire family is going to love this family reunion."

"Fine! Evil witch," he growled.

"Demon," she corrected. She wasn't really a witch, Jinx was a witch, but Raven was a bit more complicated than simple sorcery. If she did practice just simple sorcery she wouldn't be in this mess, she thought begrudgingly.

"Doesn't matter," he grounded out.

"It does, to me," she clarified. She had been embracing her demon heritage as of late because if she was going to teach the younger kids to accept themselves for themselves, she needed to accept herself. And while she had never rejected her heritage, she hadn't outright embraced it either; and she didn't fully embrace her demon heritage.

"Whatever," Jason dismissed. "Look, with or without your help I'm getting that double crossing bitch and teaching her a lesson she won't ever forget, taking that book back and leaving."

"I'm helping, I need the book back," Raven snapped.

"So we're still a team?" he muttered.

"Not really, we're two individuals working together in the interest of different goals, but a similar outcome. You get your revenge and rep, I get my book back," she clarified.

"Deal," he held out his hand and she tentatively looked between it and him. "Shake on it or I walk and do this on my own."

"Fine," she grumbled and took his hand as she muttered a binding spell. "Now neither of us can back out of the arrangement until we've completed our goals."

Jason just glared at her as they pulled their hands apart.

* * *

Damian had never been so relieved to see another person as he was when Raven walked out of her shadows and everything calmed. For the past two hours the Titans had been deal with a raging Superboy, and even the other Supers had had trouble with them. Now everyone stopped.

"What is going on?" Raven demanded once everyone was calm and Superboy collapsed.

"Raven! Where have you been!?" Dick gasped.

"I was handling something, who is this?" Raven asked.

"The Superboy," Damian filled in, he clutched his ribs; they were singing something fierce from when Starfire had tackled him.

"Alright, everyone will resume training, those in need of medical go to the infirmary, I will handle Superboy," Raven said as she stood and levitated the unconscious teen with her before she left. Damian glance between his teammates who were assessing damage and the Raven before he darted into the elevator with Raven.

"You should go to the infirmary," Raven said after a long moment in silence.

"My ribs are fine, just bruised," Damian snapped.

"You should still go to the infirmary."

"Where were you?" Damian demanded, he wanted to trust Raven; he did trust her, but at times it was difficult to trust anyone who kept everyone in the dark.

"Brokering a deal," Raven answered.

"With who?"

"Damian," her tone was flat but there was an edge in it.

"I will find out!" he persisted.

"If I tell you, you cannot tell Dick or anyone else, I will speak to Victor about it, but only him," Raven said.

"Why?"

"Because you Bats have obsession tendency which border on insanity and I need my deal to remain in place for the time being," she stated as they walked out of the elevator, Raven motioned for the Superboy to follow; his body still encased in her black energy.

"Fine!" he promised; his curiosity truly getting the best of him as he ignored his ribs.

"Then we will discuss this in my room with Victor after I handle Superboy, and you go to the infirmary," Raven stated. He frowned but he knew that he wasn't going to win this fight, but she was willing to let him in on whatever was going on. Which was why he hurried for the infirmary then. He liked Raven, but her secretiveness bugged him and he wanted to know more.

Damian walked into the infirmary to see everyone on beds as Cyborg looked them over.

"What did Raven do to him?" Supergirl; Kara, asked.

"Raven's got abilities, she used them to save our butts," Garfield stated. Damian didn't know why they didn't just state she was an empath.

* * *

Raven looked down on the boy when he started stirring, and she stuffed her hands in the jacket Jason had shoved on her in their escape. The young man's eyes groggily settled on her and she softened slightly, even as she felt his conflicting emotions bombard her.

"Hello, my name is Raven," she said calmly as she sat beside him, the boy shifted away from her.

"W-Where am I?" he asked as he stared at her.

"You are Titan's Tower," she stated. "My friends seemed to have rescued you; I don't know all the details, but when you woke you attacked them."

"They… They're your friends?" He asked.

"Yes, you are at the Titan's headquarters, we're smaller than the Justice League, but similar purpose," Raven said as she looked him over. His emotions were everywhere, aggression, fear, anger, rage, and pain; so much pain. "Do you have a name?"

"I am the Superboy, Superman's clone to replace him should he perish, a weapon if he turns from the light," the boy stated.

"I see, Superboy," she nodded. "Superman is an admirable man, you must look up to him."

"I do," he nodded.

"Raven!" A voice on the other side of the locked door called out which had Superboy glaring, she held up her hand as she rose to open the door.

"Nightwing, this is Superboy, Superboy, this is my dear friend, the Titan's leader, Nightwing," Raven gestured to Dick who was wearing his uniform and domino mask. "He's not here to harm or hurt you. You can trust him."

"I helped pull you out of Cadmus," Dick grinned.

"I see," Superboy hesitated.

"We only want to help you, Superboy, if you let us. We can even help you meet Superman," Nightwing started. The boy looked interested in that and Raven softened before she waved to Dick and walked out of the room as they talked. Raven found her communicator as she sent a message to Damian and Victor to meet her in her room in an hour. She pulled out a duffle bag then and started packing it, she'd put in her notice of undetermined leave in with Barbara before she left and leave her communicator behind.

She was going to simply state to Dick that this was an undercover mission, something in the Magical World, and he'd leave what she was doing alone. Jason didn't know how long or where they'd be going, just that he had to work on tracking people down, and he'd have a lead for them to follow when he picked her up at the park in two hours. Picking up everything she felt she needed but wouldn't be able to get her hands on she shoved it into her bag before she went through her closet.

"Hey Rae, got your message," Victor said as he walked into her room. Raven didn't look at him as she thumbed through a book of dark spells. "What's… What are you doing?"

"Now will you speak of what is bothering you?" Damian demanded as he walked in.

"I have made a deal with Red X to retrieve a book he stole from me," Raven stated as she picked up at least nine books she knew she would need, then started looking through her supplies. The ingredients she wouldn't get on the road were the first she collected and started putting in her bag. She didn't know what magic she'd be up against to get her mind back, but she was willing to bet she'd need everything in her arsenal not to fail. If Zatanna was the one who truly had her book then there was no way the sorceress would let it go without a fight.

"What kind of a deal and who is Red X and why must I tell no one about this deal?" Damian fired off.

"Rae! Have you lost your mind!?" Victor shouted and she lifted her brows at him. He rolled his eye before he looked down on Damian. "Red X is the best thief in the world, nearly five years running, he's even been rumored to have broken into the Watch Tower of the JL. He's a contractor, and no one knows his civilian identity."

"I do now," Raven muttered.

"Rae, you need to tell Dick," Victor started.

"No, the last thing I need is Dick getting involved and then I lose the book because he locks X up; X is the only one who knows who has that book and I have brokered a deal with X for the book," Raven stated flatly. It wasn't a perfect deal, but then no deal was ever perfect, and Raven considered this one to be of the utmost importance. She didn't have time to figure out how to explain to Dick that Jason was alive, he was Red X, and Red Hood, and that he was now a world class, feared criminal who had been trained by the League of Assassins. No, there wasn't time to try to explain that.

"You said you know who Red X is? Why not just arrest him?" Damian asked.

"That's actually more complicated, no I cannot tell you who he is, just that he's now helping me," Raven said.

"Why not?" victor demanded.

"One, it's part of our deal, two, it's my leverage over him, and three, I need him to help me get that book back," Raven stated.

"What about after the deal you brokered is up?" Damian asked.

"Then I can only say who he is if he's ever caught," Raven stated.

"Rae, I don't like it."

"I don't either.

"How do you know he won't double cross you?" Cyborg asked. "He's already stolen the book, so why is he so willing to help you steal it back?"

"Because the leverage I hold over him is too big for him to be willing to double cross me, and he's helping me because the buyer double crossed him and he's out for revenge," Raven shrugged and tossed Mumbo's hat out of her closet before she found what she was looking for; another backpack for her clothes and she tossed it onto her bed as she pulled garments from her closet.

"So what's the plan here? Run off with the guy who ranks number two on Dick's shit list and most wanted list? Hope to get the book back?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't have a lot of options at this point, so yes," Raven stated.

"I'm coming then!" Damian spoke up.

"This might be either really easy or stupid dangerous, are you certain you want to leap in without thinking this through?" Raven asked. She knew that Damian didn't know Jason, and even if he had seen photos of Jason it was doubtful that he'd make a connection between Jason and dead Jason. Jason didn't look the same as the boy he had been at his death.

"Yes."

"Take the kid Rae, I don't like you traveling with Red X and no back up and the kid here is great backup," Victor stated.

"I am not a child," Damian hissed.

"Dude, you're ten, you're a kid," Victor argued.

"I don't care," Raven snapped. "I'm not taking anyone with me, I'm telling you," she looked at Victor then, "what I'm doing because I'm leaving my communicator behind so Oracle can't track me around. And I'm telling you," she gave a pointed look to Damian then, "what I'm doing so you don't try to break into my room or do something equally stupid."

"I don't like this Rae," Cyborg stated.

"I agree, you do not have sufficient backup. What if this Red X decides to double cross you or kill you? Will you defend yourself?" Damian snapped.

"You don't have to like it, I've brokered the deal and he can't back out or double cross me," Raven stated to Cyborg before turning her attention onto Damian. "I am a demon, daughter of Trigon, the Gem of Scath, I do not require back up. And if X decides to double cross me, I'm sticking him in Hell, and should he attack I have no doubts I cannot stop him; but I can hurt him more than anyone knows. I am not defenseless, Damian, I am the last line of defense."

"I'm still coming," Damian stated.

"And I'm not letting you leave the Tower without back up and communication," Cyborg stated.

Raven internally groaned but surrendered. At least Damian wouldn't be able to blow Jason's cover, that was a plus in her mind as she finished her packing.

"Fine, but you don't tell Oracle about the communicator you give me, and you will tell Dick and Bruce you're coming training with me so we can calm your anger," Raven snapped. "And the entire trip you will do exactly what you're told or I will send you back here and disappear with X until I have my book back, understood?"

They both nodded before they hurried out of her room.

Raven groaned as she fell onto her bed and then sighed before going to her lock box and pulling out the money she had stored there in case of emergencies. Shoving it into her pack she went to fill out her leave reports for Dick, and Damian.

It was a good cover using Damian's explosive rage to leave.

* * *

Jason sat in his shot up safe house; his favorite one in this city and merely sighed. Great, now he was going to have to move, and his other safe houses weren't as nice as this one had been. At least the ones in this city weren't that nice, he had others across the globe far nicer than this place.

In twenty minutes he had the place cleared out as he moved all his gear to the other safe house, and dropped it all on his bed before he started sorting through the gear here and the gear he had brought for what he would need. Once he was sure of what he had and what he'd need he put the other gear away, locked up, set his traps and surveillance before he left. As tempting as it was to take a bike he settled for the car he had bought instead.

Dropping his gear in his trunk he put the tech in the back seat before he got in and started up the engine. There was a stubborn rumble from the car before he had it and they pulled out of the parking garage and started down the street.

He smirked, he stood out, he knew that, but he also knew he was invisible at the same time, just another bad boy with a classic muscle car; worth the admiration not worth the notice. Besides, he liked the car, not as much as his bikes, but he liked his 1967 Charger, and had put a lot of work into reviving her. It was beautiful, but he also wasn't willing to risk wrecking her because of a job. This time was the exception because he'd be traveling with Raven, and he didn't see Raven and him surviving a motorcycle trip. Not with all the gear he had, and all the shit she was no doubt bringing.

Pulling up to the curb of the agreed upon meeting place he got out of his car and picked up his laptop as he got to work on a park table.

It was about an hour and a half later Raven appeared, he looked up at her and smirked.

"Hey Sunshine," he caught her attention as her eyes narrowed on him and she stalked over to him before sitting across the table.

"Stop calling me that," Raven warned him again.

"Aw… but you're so bright and happy to see me," he mused as he continued working.

"I'm shadows, and I do not believe happy is the right emotion to describe how I feel at the moment," Raven warned darkly.

"Relax princess, I've almost got what we need to start," he stated.

"You are Red X I presume," a stern voice asked and Jason looked up from his work as he blinked twice to make sure he wasn't going even more insane than he already was.

Before him stood a boy, about Raven's height, with black hair, blue eyes, and Bruce's face. It was unnerving, but as Jason inspected the boy closer he noticed the minute differences between the boy and Bruce; darker skin, sharper features, and the shape of his eyes were wrong.

"And you are?" he asked blandly.

"Jason, meet Damian, we will not have hero identities on this mission, and I have no doubts you're already aware of who the current Robin is," Raven shrugged. Damian balked, and Jason smirked as he glared at her, Raven gave him a challenging look. "Victor doesn't trust you with me alone, and apparently neither does Damian. Frankly I don't see why they think I need help against you, but you're now stuck with Damian and I."

"I see, you're lucky I thought to bring the car instead of the motor cycle then," he muttered and resumed his work. He knew who Damian Wayne was, had even remembered the kid vaguely being at the compound Talia had kept him at before the Pit, but honestly, he hadn't ever really stopped to study the boy. Now it was unnerving to see a replica of Bruce sitting beside Raven glaring at him.

"I can drive!" Damian squawked.

"You're not driving my car, twerp," he warned and found what he was seeking and smirked. "And Raven has shotgun so you'll be sitting in the back."

"Jason, where are we going?"

"According to the League records she has a place in Gotham County, New Jersey, Shadowcrest, we'll start there, she is not in San Francisco, that I can tell you, no records, and no electronic foot print, and according to my magic friend she isn't here, if you'd like to verify what he's said."

"I already know she isn't," Raven muttered.

"So… road trip or the trick again?" Jason asked. He saw Raven rub her brow.

"Road trip, I'll get us to Pittsburg, but I can't get us closer than that at the moment, the first two were exhausting," she yawned.

"I take over in Pittsburg," he admitted as he shut his laptop and tucked it into his case, his eyes narrowing on Damian who was scowling still. "Sure we should bring the kid?"

"I am not a child!" Damian hissed venomously. Jason snorted.

"And I'm not a contractor," he countered.

"Enough! Damian is coming and you're coming, let's go before she tries to use the damn book." Raven stood, picking up a duffel and her backpack. Jason just stood and looked as the kid hefted up his duffle.

"'67 Charger, black," he said and watched Raven closely as the kid walked ahead of them.

"Break our deal already, Sunshine?" he asked her darkly.

"No. He merely thinks you are Jason, nothing more or less, and unless you give it up he's not going to figure it out," Raven warned him as she walked ahead of him to the kid. He frowned, he didn't like the idea of travelling with a spawn of the Bat, it was just inviting catastrophe for him.


	8. Pancakes or Waffles

Jason didn't like this as he drove through one of Raven's portals and found himself in a parking garage. Raven promptly collapsed with a moan and laid against the window.

"Hey!" he snapped at her, she blearily opened her eyes as she panted. He'd be so very fucked and dead if a Titan; especially this Titan, died on him. And having the Demon Spawn of a man he'd rather got the hell before seeing again was enough motivation to have him looking at the exhausted gray girl in the passenger's seat.

"You're exhausting," she muttered as she rubbed her brow and yawned.

"We're stopping at a motel, then continuing tomorrow," he decided as he pulled out of the parking garage Raven had landed them in. She merely hummed.

"What's wrong with her!?" Damian hissed, pulling a knife on him and Jason slammed on the breaks before reaching the exit as he snatched the knife from the Bat Brat.

"She's exhausted, I didn't drug her, and if you pull another fucking weapon on me we're going to go a few rounds and it'll hurt," Jason warned lowly so as not to disturb the woman who was passed out. After waking her the first-time Jason wasn't too keen on having a repeat performance of four furious red eyes, cold environment, and shadows coming to life; right now. He was interested in going toe to toe with Raven again, but not until the playing field was even and he was armed. Also, he wasn't going to tolerate mini-Bruce trying to stab him every turn of the way.

"What did you steal from her?" Damian spat as Jason paid a parking fee and drove into the street. He looked at the street signs and decided that they were going to need a motel, a map, and food; in that order, before going to Gotham.

"A book," he answered. He felt no need to elaborate as he slowed at a stop light. Pulling a cigarette he lit it, rolled the windows down and took a steadying breath. He was not ready to deal with Bruce's brat or the other Bats; it was too much fucking turmoil for him. And he sure as hell wasn't ready to go to the vicinity of Gotham County; nope, but here he was.

"What book?" Damian demanded.

"Fuck, I don't know," he lied. "I'm a contractor, shorty, I am hired to acquire goods from secure places, and that's exactly what I did."

"Then why are you helping Raven?" Damian growled.

"Because I don't work for double crossers, and Raven's got leverage I need gone," Jason grumbled as he turned and took another sweet, soothing breath of his cigarette before he blew the smoke out the window. Raven was sound asleep, she didn't even move as she slumped in the seat, Damian settled behind Raven and glared at him the entire time and Jason just hoped for patience.

He was not patient with people, especially not Bats.

This was going to be hell.

* * *

She had missed! The fury at having missed fueled her as she stalked through her safe house and wondered how that child had gotten a Titan on his side. And worse, how said Titan had threw a dumpster at her and broken her arm.

Growling she sat at her table and frowned. Her father wouldn't just be disappointed with her, no, he'd be furious. They had taken this job on the contingency of it being useful to their cause. The money was a bonus, and she was the best in the League. She never messed up, and she never missed, now…

Her head fell back as she felt her age for the first time since giving Damian to his father. The exhaustion seeped into her bones, and her fury started rising.

There'd been a moment she'd cared about Jason, a miniscule moment in time, and she had shown mercy on him. But he was dangerous, and now he was a liability to the cause. It was time to eliminate him. Looking at her set wrist she stood up and started packing, she'd have to track Jason down, and while that wasn't going to be easy she'd been the one to teach him how to disappear. She could, and would, find him, and she put a bullet between his eyes and burn his body to end it.

Just because he had come back once didn't mean he could continue to do so.

And the Titan would be next.

* * *

"Why are we stopping here!?" Damian protested when Jason pulled up to a hotel; a cheap Hilton, and he narrowed his eyes on the older man.

"Because, Raven needs sleep, I need to plan, and you're a pain in the ass," Jason snapped as he parked and got out. Damian scowled at the man as he got out of the car. He watched as Jason collected Raven out of the passenger side, wrapped her up in a leather jacket, pulled a hat over her head and carried her. Damian was just shocked Raven never stirred.

"You're my kid brother if anyone asks," Jason growled.

"We are not related," Damian snapped. Jason merely barked a laugh.

"Ain't that the truth!" Jason chuckled, Damian frowned because he didn't think this was funny. "Anyway, if they ask, you're my kid brother, Rae here is my girl, we're on a road trip."

"Why?"

"Just do it brat," he snarled.

"Raven can do better than you." Damian jabbed. Jason just scowled.

"I'll have you know I'm a hell of a catch!" Jason haughtily stated.

Damian said nothing as he glared blandly at the other, but Jason was no longer looking at him as they approached the counter.

"Afternoon, I need a room, two beds if possible," Jason smiled at the receptionist, and Damian rolled his eyes as he started looking around the lobby. He was only here because otherwise Raven would have left herself to the mercy of a criminal. And that didn't sit too well with Damian.

* * *

Jason shifted Raven a bit as he continued to chat up the receptionist and fill out the paperwork for the room.

"Your brother is too cute," the blonde giggled.

"He'll be a lady killer for sure," Jason chuckled and Damian's head snapped up then as his eyes narrowed on him. Raven grumbled a bit, she shifted and that grabbed the receptionist's attention.

"Girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he lied. "She's not feeling great, so we're stopping here for the night."

"Poor thing," the blonde mused. "She's looking rather gray."

"Might just be car sick," he chuckled.

"If you need anything," the blonde smiled and trailed off with a wave.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks," Jason lied as he took a key and struggled with holding Raven steady and fiddling with the keycards. The demon never woke. "Come on shorty."

"I am not short!" Damian snapped as they got in the elevator.

"Sure you're not," Jason rolled his eyes as he pressed the button for his floor. Raven grumbled as she shifted again, he stiffened when her face was pressed against his neck but remained calm when she stopped fidgeting.

"Is she supposed to be like this?" Damian asked worriedly.

"The fuck if I know!" Jason hissed as the elevator stopped and they walked the hall. It was quiet, eerily so, but Jason was used to the nice hotels being like that. It was part of why he preferred the shitty motels, at least there was life; even angry life, in them. Opening up their room he was blasted by the icy air of the room but ignored it as he maneuvered Raven to the bed nearest to the window and farthest from the door.

"This is a hovel," Damian declared.

"It's pretty nice actually, clean, simple, quiet," Jason listed icily as he checked Raven's brow for a fever; just in case. She was looking grayer than usual in his defense.

"Whatever," Damian grounded.

"I'll be right back with the bags, stay put or be useful and help me," Jason stated.

"As if I trust you," Damian rolled his eyes and Jason didn't take offense as he and Damian walked out of the hotel room to his Charger to collect the bags. Jason unzipped both of Raven's bags to find her clothes, picked up her backpack, zipped her duffle, grabbed his bag, and his computer before he shut the trunk and locked his car; also, arming the traps he had there.

After having stolen three of the Batmobile's tires he was a bit paranoid about his own vehicles and kept them carefully guarded. It was the only reason he left his weapons and Raven's magic shit (because that's what he was assuming was in her duffle bag of books), in the trunk. Also, he was a thief, he designed every possible fail safe so thieves could not steal his cars or gear. Damian was standing there with his own bags and gear.

"What does Raven have on you?" Damian demanded as they walked into the hotel again.

"What the hell makes you think I'll tell or give you hints to that!?" Jason demanded. Damian shrugged and Jason was shocked; it was such a Dick action, but seeing the kid do it was startling. It almost made Talia's spawn look human.

"Look, kid, you don't like me, I'm not overly fond of you, however, since you're with Sunshine, we're stuck together. Raven and I have called truce, what do you say we do that same?" Jason smiled maliciously as he looked innocently on the boy who was glaring daggers at him.

"Raven is a fool to trust you," Damian stated.

"Whoa, stop, I have to correct you on several things about that statement," Jason huffed. "One, Sunshine is the smartest Titan, or hero I've ever come across and she possesses a great deal more common sense and power than anyone on the Titans, she's the furthest thing from a fool, so give her credit. Two, the biggest fool on the Titans is the Bird Brains, you included. Third, who the hell said she trusts me? We're two individuals working together for similar means to an end and going to part ways when this is over. She'll go back to trying to kick my ass, and I'll go back to trying to kick hers'. Kapeesh?"

"You seem to hold your enemy in high esteem," Damian smirked.

"No, I hold admiration for what she is and what she can do, and enjoy pushing her buttons!" Jason gleefully corrected, honestly, he loved toying with Titans. It was a blast!

"Then you are the fool," Damian spat.

"Possibly, or just insane," Jason wolfishly grinned. Yes, he was certifiably insane at times, but he was also sane at times too. It kept everyone on their toes; him included.

"I don't trust you," Damian decided.

"First smart thing I've heard from your mouth, but how about we call truce Bat Brat?"

"Stop calling me that!" Damian hissed.

"Fine, shorty it is."

"I'm not short!"

"Are you sure? Because Sunshine's taller than you and she's short," Jason explained.

"Why do you call her Sunshine?"

"Why not?" Jason mused. They walked the hall and Jason opened the hotel door to see Raven had wrapped herself up in his jacket again, in fact, she was using it as a blanket; completely tucked under it. All he could see of her was her toes and a tuff of dark hair. Sighing he dropped his bag as he took his jacket away from her, turned down the bed and put her in it before pulling out his computer. Sitting at the desk he started getting to hacking as Damian sat on the other bed and watched them.

Honestly, Jason didn't know what was the matter with the demon spawn and he didn't care. All that mattered was that he not be blind going into Shadowcrest; he was not dying for a fucking book! It was not happening! He had shit to do before his next death.

* * *

"Hey, Cyborg, do you know where friend Raven is?" Starfire asked as she appeared. Kori was a bit… stressed, and was hoping to get Raven to indulge in the shopping. It soothed Kori immensely when she and Raven hung out. Raven; after the body swap debacle, was patient with her and Kori in turn could push her friend further into socializing. It was nice. Star could even get Raven to spend an afternoon doing the painting of nails; not that she could get Raven to paint them pink, but it was progress.

"Uh… yeah, she had a mission come up, magic stuff," Cyborg said cryptically which had Star frowning. Raven was always complicated, and secretive, but Kori could honestly say that Raven would not leave right now. Not with the new kids, or Barbara, or the Titan responsibilities.

"Cyborg, where is Raven really?" Kori demanded.

Cyborg huffed, then grabbed her as he dragged her into his room and shut the door.

"Look, if I give you the bare minimum of what I know; which is the bare minimum of what Raven was willing to tell me, you can't tell Gar or Dick," Cyborg stated.

"Alright?" Kori huffed.

"RedXstolesomethingofRaven's,she'sgotleverageoverhim(Idon'tknowwhat),they'regoingtogogetwhathestoleback,andDamian'swiththem," Cyborg rushed out.

Kori blinked.

"Raven is with Red X?" she managed.

"Yup, no telling Dick," Cyborg stated.

"But his baby brother is with Red X as well!" she shouted.

"Not ideal but he's with Rae, and Rae will never let anything happen to the kid. Besides he's a trained ex-assassin!" Cyborg defended. Kori gaped at him.

"And that makes it alright!?" she snapped.

"No, but I couldn't send Raven alone, and she was going it alone Kori, she wouldn't have told me but she's like my kid sister!" Victor snapped.

"Very well, I will not tell Dick," Kori sighed.

"Thank you! I'll make it up to you however you want," he promised.

"That is acceptable. Victor," she hummed as she stopped herself from leaving and looked at the other man.

"What's up?"

"Do… Do you think Richard loves Barbara?" Kori hated herself for this weakness, but it couldn't be helped. Her and Richard had been going solid (as something, not quite girlfriend-boyfriend, but not friends with benefits either) for a year nearly, and while they were good together, Dick had feeling for Barbara.

"Um… Star… that's, that's complicated," Victor gulped.

"I see, thank you Cy," she lied and she hurried out of the room. It was actually her relationship with Dick that she had wanted to talk to Raven about. Stopping Kori stared out at the setting sun and she just stood in the empty hall of the founding member's living quarters as she savored it. She felt so lost, and a bit alone right now, she was scared. She knew that, she knew she was scared; terrified, that Dick would leave her and run for the gorgeous redhead who was his best and oldest friend. Kori couldn't compete with Barbara, and she hated knowing that if Richard chose Barbara, she'd leave.

* * *

Damian watched as Jason worked and Raven slept. Boredom was what had him placing his weapons out on the bed as he methodically sharpened them. Jason didn't make a move to threaten Raven, who hadn't woken up, though now it was night.

"Go to sleep baby bird," Jason said.

"What are you doing?" Damian challenged as he started organizing everything he kept in his utility belt.

"Working," Jason answered.

"Then I'll stay up," Damian stated. He was not taking his eyes off Raven when she was vulnerable like this. Raven hadn't stirred at all since she had passed out in the car. Jason could not be trusted with her safety; Jason was a thief and the very reason Raven was in a mess.

"Awe, if I didn't know better someone has a crush on the little bird here," Jason cooed, Damian's eyes narrowed as he threateningly held a knife.

"I do not!" the boy hissed. "Raven's…. Raven's my best friend," he decided.

Jason merely blinked and leant back in his seat then.

"Best friends are good to have," the thief omitted. "However, I'm not going to hurt her, and even if I was, I would take you out first and I don't intend to have the wrath of the Bat Clan raining down on me so get some fucking sleep, tomorrow is a long fucking drive."

"I don't know why think I would let my guard down around a deceitful thief," Damian huffed out; though he felt a yawn coming which was about to prove himself tired. But he refused to reveal such a weakness to this scoundrel.

"Kid, I happen to have morals, and not that you need to know this, but I do not hurt women or children, just assholes in need of an ass kicking," Jason grounded out.

"I don't trust you," Damian snapped.

"Already established, but you need sleep, she's sleeping, and I'll be going to sleep in an hour; sleep or I'll knock you out," Jason snapped. Damian scowled but secretly decided there'd be no harm in sleeping as he put away his gear and weapons. He'd clambered into the bed he had claimed and settled as he looked between Jason and Raven, Raven never stirred and Jason was clearly consumed by whatever he was doing.

Slowly Damian let sleep claim him.

His mind wandered and for the first time since his mother had left him with his father and renounced him as her son he felt… content, accepted, something? True with his family he was loved and accepted; Grayson had made certain of that, and while he and Drake hated each other they were learning to work together, and Pennyworth was Pennyworth, and father was father. But Raven made him feel at ease, but there was something about being here with the thief and Raven which made him feel content. It beat the tower and dealing with imbeciles trying to understand him.

No one would ever understand him.

* * *

Wincing a bit Raven shifted from her spot on a bed, there was a hand on the small of her back which was too large to be hers'. Blearily she turned her head and looked at the sprawled man beside her and frowned. Mumbling she moved and dragged the covers over her head as she glanced across the room and noticed Damian sound asleep still. Sighing, Raven dragged herself out of the bed she was in, and surmised that they were in a hotel with the neutral colors and matching décor. Rubbing her eyes, she stumbled to the bathroom and glanced at herself in the mirror.

She felt like she'd been run over by a bus from everything yesterday and the day before.

Between the training and the team dividing, then Jason stealing her book, the attack on Jason, the trip to New York, the trip back home, packing, agreeing to take Damian and then trip to Pittsburgh, she was exhausted. And drained. Very drained, if she were attacked right now she didn't think she'd have the needed energy to even deflect the attack. The good news was her mind shields were up, keep Damian and Jason's emotions out of her system.

Scrubbing her face, she looked in the mirror and sighed, she wanted a fucking shower. It was no longer a request, she felt sticky, drained, and very gross. Walking back into the room she noted that someone had brought her bag up and she collected it. Hopefully in the thirty minutes she was in the shower neither Damian nor Jason would wake and start a war. She dimly remembered the tension between them and Jason's fury and uneasy, and Damian's distrust and anger.

Sighing in bliss she let the hot water poor over her as she thought over everything that she was doing. But more than that Raven wanted to know why Zatanna of all magicians wanted a book of Azarath. It wasn't like anyone could read it; Azarath's language and culture had never really left Azarath, and it was all ruined anyway. Shutting her eyes, she scolded herself and reminded herself that Azarath was her fault. It was all her fault.

It was still her home.

But it was her fault it was dead, that genocide had happened on her home world.

Stepping out of the shower she wrapped a towel around herself and frowned. No one, not even Dr. Fate would have use for the book, and it was doubtful anyone besides herself, Victor and Garfield knew about the Nevermore, Azar had stressed the importance of her hiding such a weakness. And the Nevermore was a weakness just as it was a strength; it was a way into her mind. Drying off she pulled on civilian clothes and cast a glamor spell on herself to hide her identity; it was amazing how few people recognized her without her ashen skin and chakra gem.

Walking out of the bathroom she glared at Damian and Jason; the former being locked in a headlock by the latter.

* * *

"So what do you think?" he asked as he let the sorcerer examine the book.

"I find it fascinating, the magic she placed on it," the man smiled.

"Can you get around it!" the boy snapped impatiently which had the sorcerer narrowing his eyes on him.

"It'll take time, but yes, I can, though I'm sure the Witch Boy beside you could do it," the sorcerer hissed.

He just sighed.

"If Klarion could do it he would have done it," he countered as the Lord of Chaos scowled.

"Not surprising, the Gem of Scath would not leave something like that laying around," the boy defended and he found himself praying for patience.

"You're going to need more than one sorcerer," the sorcerer snapped at the Witch Boy.

"That's why we're here, can it be unlocked?"

"Yes," the sorcerer repeated.

"Then retrieve the Nevermore," he stated.

"I'll get some… acquaintances to help, Klarion's help is needed as well," the sorcerer growled. The Witch Boy just huffed and he sighed. Klarion was more powerful than Raven in the mystic arts, he was an incarnation of chaos after all, but Raven had been clever and used Azarath magic on her book; and no one they knew, knew Azarathian to break it. A very clever move on his sister's part, but it wouldn't save her.

It was time sister dearest served her purpose, properly this time.

* * *

"Enough!" Raven roared and Damian looked up in his headlock from Jason and the both stiffened. Raven had her eyes narrowed, her hands on her hips and the fury in her stance. Jason dropped him, and he landed on his feet.

"He started it!" Damian defended.

"I do not care! You two will learn to get along on this trip, or Damian so help me I will send you back to Dick!" Raven hissed and he frowned. Part of the deal for coming was obeying Raven's every command. And though he didn't like it, he knew she was the only one who'd never turn back on her word. Raven was rather like Alfred, she could and she would follow through on her promises.

"Jason, where are we?" Raven asked and Damian scowled.

"Pittsburgh," he answered.

"Why?"

"You were exhausted, I'm not driving with demon brat unsupervised, and I am not walking into Shadowcrest without information," Jason stated.

"Do you have the information you need now?" Raven challenged.

"As a matter of fact, I do, princess," he grinned like a shark and Raven frowned. Damian rolled his eyes, he didn't like it when Jason grinned, it was like he was plotting something and they didn't know it.

"Don't call me that. Do you have the information you need?"

"Yeah," Jason smirked.

"Can we go now?"

"After I shower and the demon brat showers," Jason chuckled. Damian growled as Jason passed him and slid past Raven before Raven and he were alone again.

* * *

"Damian," Raven sighed as she rubbed her brow then and the boy folded his arms then.

"I was ordered to protect you, he said he was going to peep," Damian defended. Raven just shook her head and walked over to the young boy.

"I doubt I'm Red's type, and if he did peep, I would and am fully capable of kicking his ass," Raven stated.

"Cyborg said you would need protection," Damian countered.

"Not really," Raven assured him. The boy huffed as he fell onto the bed.

"I do not like him, he is dishonest, untrustworthy, volatile, and a scoundrel," Damian stated.

"Hmm… I know someone like that, in fact I'm standing in the same room as him right now, but I trust him anyway," Raven said and Damian shot up to defend himself.

"Damian, I am not judging," Raven said, cutting off his defenses. "But you have lied, repeatedly, to your father, and to Dick; the Court of Owls is proof of that. You have proven yourself untrustworthy at times, but you always come around; your views, your grandfather, your mother, and relationship with the League of Assassins are concerning. You do not play well with others, even with your own brothers; but you do have a kind and generous heart in there, it's just guarded. And you are a scoundrel; you're a Wayne and they're all scoundrels and that's not bad. But you need to stop judging Jason because of what he does, you don't know him and what he's been through. Just have an open mind. People can be a pleasant surprise."

"Do you believe that?" Damian demanded.

"Empath, nothing surprises me," she stated flatly as she sat on the bed and Jason reappeared, dressed, clean shaven, and still a bit damp from his shower. Damian stalked past him with his own bag and Raven sighed as she rubbed her temples. Damian's hostility towards new people was truly exhausting, but she could and would get through to him. Though at times it was exceedingly tempting to just wipe him emotionally and have him start over, have a chance at being… normal, and happy.

"You look like you went partying," Jason chuckled as he started packing his stuff.

"All the hangover without the fun," she mused flatly as she fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"You weren't really going to peep, were you?" Raven asked. She didn't see why any guy; especially one of the Wayne boys, would ever do something so vulgar. Besides, it wasn't really like she had anything worth peeping at.

"What? No," he said. The shock and offense she felt roll off him was too genuine to fake.

"Then why were you and Damian fighting?"

"Because, the brat said something, it was time he had manners taught to him."

"Ah, please refrain from head locking a ten year old who will happily stab you," she dismissed.

"As if he could," Jason mused.

"League of Assassins I take it," she mused listening to the pipes sing with the hot water, she could feel Damian in the water so she felt safe asking about Jason Todd, not just Jason.

"How'd you…?" he blinked.

"They're the only organization with a Lazarus Pit that I know of," she stated.

"Ah, should have known, and yes, don't ask," he sighed.

"I'm not judging, just mildly curious," she said as she sat up and packed up her stuff too. "Also curious about why you were in my bed when I woke."

"Because Prince Wayne there would stab me if I even contemplated sleeping in his bed and you were in the next world and wouldn't have noticed if I slit your wrists and walked away; not that I would, but you were that out of it," he mused.

"Ah," she nodded as she and Jason started making the beds to check for stuff.

"You're not going to be all demon pissed on me?" he questioned.

"No, I'm not so immature to demand you sleep on the floor instead, I just don't usually wake up with people in my bed," Raven shrugged as she and Jason moved to Damian's bed to make it. Raven had very rarely shared her bed, and the few times she had it'd been with Star or Cyborg on movies nights when they'd crash. Other than them no one had ever been in her bed. Ever.

"I don't usually wake to someone in my bed either," he grumbled. She smiled a bit, because she sensed he had a different meaning in that statement.

"Alright, all of our stuff is ready to go, as soon as his highnass gets out of the shower we'll check out," Jason decided.

"Stop calling him names," Raven ordered as she double checked her bag.

"Can't be helped, Sunshine," Jason grinned.

"Don't call me that," she snapped.

"But you're always so happy!" he chuckled.

"After I get my book back, I just might send you to another dimension," Raven grumbled.

"You'd miss me, if you didn't have me winding up Bats and Bird Brains, who would!?" he chuckled as he heaved up his bag and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Ah the peaceful life without Red," she sighed blissfully.

"You wound me, little bird," he dramatically huffed.

"I doubt that," she muttered.

"Too right, now breakfast, a very serious matter, pancakes or waffles, your answer will decide the terms of this truce," he stated seriously.

"Waffles, always," she proudly stated.

"My God, you're my kind of woman," he chuckled.

"Oh Azar!" she moaned as her head fell back. Jason sniggered. They both looked at Damian.

"You were discussing breakfast," Damian said calmly. Raven tried to shake Jason's arm from around her shoulders, but he didn't budge.

"Yes, serious question as this will determine the compatibility of this team: pancakes or waffles," Jason demanded.

"Pancakes," Damian replied promptly.

"We're doomed to failure, little bird," Jason informed her. "It's an omen, we should call off this mission."

"Nice try," Raven stated flatly.

"But if you and I like waffles, and he likes pancakes, it's proof we're doomed to failure."

"You're an imbecile, that logic makes no sense!" Damian snapped.

"I'm warning you," Jason chuckled as they walked out of the room.

"You are not back out, or I use my leverage over you," she warned as they walked into the elevator.

"Rats, it was worth a shot."

"Are you sure he's a criminal mastermind, Raven?"

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven chanted as she tried to stay calm as the elevator closed on them.


	9. One Road Trip To Hell, with Fries Please

It was after breakfast, on the road, at a gas station, filling up his car, when Jason remembered why he didn't do the family crap in life.

"Hurry up!" Jason shouted at the locked door of the bathroom. "Or I'm leaving you demon brat!"

"Your brother?" a woman mused which had Jason turning to look at a civilian smirking.

"Yes," he grounded out. And the truth never tasted more bitter on his tongue as he leant up against the wall and scowled. The woman merely chuckled before she was gone, and he looked over at the convenience store to see Raven picking up a pair of sunglasses. Sighing he pushed off the wall as he walked up silently behind Raven as she paid for the glasses.

"Find something you like princess?" he murmured by her ear and smirked as she stiffened before she shot him an icy glare over her shoulder.

"Don't call me that, and yes," she said as she picked up the sunglasses and he walked with her to his car which was still at the pump.

"Mind telling me what convenient lie you spun so Bats isn't hunting us down for abducting his precious Prince of Assassins?" he asked indifferently. Truthfully this was something he should have asked way earlier, but he hadn't out of fear. Fear of her not having something in place to deter the Bats which would gladly hunt him down and gut him. Jason knew for a fact that his faked death only worked as long as they thought he was dead, and he enjoyed being the unknown guy on Dick's shit list, but Jason wasn't willing to have it blown to hell by having Damian around. Also, there were people in the League of Assassins he'd rather not have finding him and dragging him back.

"Meditation, I said I was taking him to work on calming his anger and controlling his emotions. He's got an explosive rage," Raven explained as she leaned on the hood of his car and he propped himself up beside her.

"My kind of rage or just natural?" he asked; true he'd been angry and dangerous before the Pit, but now… Now he knew the difference between his rage and the Pit's.

"Natural," Raven replied. "It's been earned though, his grandfather was Ra's al Ghul, twisted him up, then his mother dropped him on Bruce, and you know how emotional Bruce is, also Bruce has blatantly shown very little trust in Damian, and while Dick tries there's only so much you can do for a child who's been dropped by his parents, who has busy adopted older siblings, and twisted up by his grandfather. It's why Damian is with us, Dick wants him to have friends and help."

"If you want to help the brat you'd get him out of the sidekick business, it's murder," he grumbled.

"It's all he's got left, Jason, and I'm not taking it from him."

"Then what are you doing with the kid?" he asked.

"I'm trying to be his friend," she sighed. Jason frowned. "He just… he needs family, and someone who isn't there to judge him, and someone who can guide him. I don't know if it'll help him, but… I'm trying. He just needs to know he's not alone."

"Good luck with that," Jason flatly told her as he pulled a cigarette and lit it, taking a smoke.

"You could help, perhaps not as Jason Todd, but as Jason, He can use a supportive older brother other than Dick," Raven murmured and he looked over at her.

"No. I don't do the family shit; wrong kid. I'm the bad kid, the black sheep, the cautionary tale for the others, I'm not family material," Jason growled out lowly. Raven merely gave him a bland look.

"I have a feeling you're very good at family shit," she countered.

"Nope, now, we're going to take the 80 to Newark, stop there for the night, then we'll head to Gotham," he explained.

"Why Newark?"

"Because… it's the worst possibly fucking place to go and I'd rather be shot than go to Gotham County, or Gotham, or in the vicinity of Gotham," he stated flatly. Besides, Newark was a cultural shock on the world and the brat could use it.

"I could just teleport us there," she said.

"After you passing out yesterday, and still being grayer than normal, I'd rather you not little bird," he muttered.

"I have a name," she snapped.

"I know, I just like the other names better," he cheekily replied.

"Then I'll call you Red, for both Red Hood and Red X," she growled lowly.

"You already do, so please continue," he mused. He wondered if she had even noticed that she called him Red this morning, even at breakfast in that crappy diner.

"I hate you," she muttered.

"Feeling is mutual," he lied.

"So, Red, in Newark, what are we to do?" she asked.

"Not get shot," he stated as he flicked the cigarette away.

"Those will kill you," she pointedly looked at his cigarette butt.

"I stress smoke," he chuckled.

"That is the worst excuse for a horrible habit," she monotonously stated.

"Oh, so it's not a disgusting habit?" he inquired after hearing so many lectures about his 'disgusting' habit.

"Gar licks himself, I think that trumps smoking on a scale of disgusting," Raven dismissed. His head felt back as he laughed then.

"You're hilarious!" he wheezed.

"That's a first, I can now die saying I heard it all," she stated, whilst looking indifferently bewildered. Jason just stared at the deer in the headlights look on her face and thought it was priceless. She might have been the Ice Queen, but she was expressive, only idiots would miss that.

"So, my smoking is a bad habit?" he mused.

"Very," she scrunched up her nose and he continued grinning as he looked to the store.

"You know this mission is bound to end in disaster," he soberly reminded her.

"Only if I don't retrieve or destroy that book," she sighed sadly.

"You can't seriously be doing all this for a book, sunshine, so what aren't you telling demon brat and I?" he asked, his eyes watching the store as he saw Damian selecting a few snacks.

"You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you, and it's just really important we get that book back," she muttered as she looked at her clasped hands.

"You don't tell Bats about me and I'll do whatever you need," he shrugged.

"Really?" she mused skeptically.

"I don't like double crossers, and I was double crossed," he pointed out, his eyes narrowing on her.

"Fair enough," she shrugged.

"Got everything!?" he shouted at Damian.

"You do not command me, thief," Damian growled.

"Let's hit the road now, I'm thinking Big Belly Burger for lunch," he stated as he stood up, Raven got in the car and Damian clambered in. getting behind the wheel he mentally checked everything before he started the engine and pulled out.

"I am a vegetarian," Damian huffed. "Don't you feel bad for the animals?"

"Damian, I respect that you don't eat meat, and we will get you a vegetarian lunch, but respect that we do," Raven calmly cut off a coming argument.

"You sound like you have this argument a lot," Jason chuckled as Damian grumbled and leant back in his seat.

"I've been having it since I was thirteen and started living with Garfield, I don't recommend tofu," Raven said calmly as she opened the map he handed her and kept his eyes on the road.

"The animals are tortured, and mistreated before they're butchered!" Damian shouted.

"Damian, I will go with you to three animal rights protests, of your choosing, and help you advocate for the animals if you leave the meat eating habits of Jason and I's, alone," Raven offered.

"Really?" Damian perked up.

"Yes, and I will help you talk Dick into getting a puppy," Raven compensated.

"You drive a hard bargain, I'd take it kid," he chuckled.

"Very well, I find that acceptable."

"So that thing from earlier?" Jason inquired.

"It helps," Raven shrugged. "Next exit."

"You're not too bad sunshine," he decided. And he meant it, he was finding Raven's company to be the best he's had in years. It was almost like having a friend.

Shaking his head of such wistful thinking he continued to merge with traffic. Damian and Raven were talking, and he slowly tuned them out as he watched the road. He liked this too much, he needed to get that book back for Raven and leave her and the Demon brat at the Manor and never look back. There was a reason he worked alone, and a reason he tried to stay away from friends and family scenarios, he liked it too much. However, it never stayed.

Whoever was with him never stayed, it was for the best to leave first so he didn't get used to this sensation.

Jason glanced at Raven and Damian in their discussion and he smirked. He was on the highway to hell with the demon spawn of his former guardian and an actual demon. This could be an interesting trip. However the sooner he was away from this little environment of… comfort, the sooner he'd feel normal again. Also, there was the matter of him envying the demon spawn of Bruce's, Bruce would definitely do anything for a blood son. Even kill the fucking Joker.

Immediately Jason shook the thoughts from his mind as he tried not to think about Joker; it would trigger a violent black out.

* * *

"What's so important in Newark, if the book is in Gotham we should just go get it!" Damian snapped.

Raven sighed, but then there was an overwhelming flood of bloodlust which seemed suffocating to her as she refrained from gasping. The pain, the brutal feelings of pain and betrayal, and envy were drowning her, overwhelming her, and it was so powerful it was almost breaking her shields as she looked at Jason who was glaring at the road.

"Red!" no response, but there was a faint green glow in his eyes.

"Jason," she repeated his name firmer and then his gaze snapped to her as the glow receded, and the turbulent storm of emotions started to dissipate.

"Huh?"

"You alright?" she asked.

"Just a ray of sunshine, Rae," he grinned easily but she could still feel the receding pain in his emotions.

"Alright, and why are we going to Newark?" she asked, hopefully Damian hadn't noticed any of what was going on with Jason. But then again he was a Bat and they were annoyingly observant; even Jason was.

"I have a place there we can crash, go over battle plans, and get ready. We're not charging into a house blind or without a plan," he stated.

"That is logical," Damian conceded.

"Did Demon Spawn just give me a compliment?" Jason demanded in a teasing tone.

"It sounded like it," she mused, Damian glared murderously at them then and she chuckled.

"I did not! I simply stated that it was logical!" Damian hissed.

"It sounded like a compliment to me, what about you?"

"Agreed," she mused.

"I will slit your throats," Damian's empty threat was hanging there and Raven chuckled.

"Ah, but the baby bird loves us, right, little bird?" Jason cooed.

"Big Belly Burger," Raven pointed.

"Trying to change the topic will not dissuaded me from reveling in the fact I got a compliment from the Prince," Jason informed her.

"I figured," Raven shrugged. "But I'd rather not be a wreck."

"You're no fun, sunshine," he chuckled.

"I like being alive," Raven stated.

"I can second that," Jason murmured softly.

"Me too," Damian decided.

"Alright, we're ordering lunches, so what'll it be kid?" Jason asked as they started pulling through the drive food. Damian insisted on a vegetarian burger, Raven shuddered in disgust. She'd accidently been tricked into eating one of Gar's veggie burgers; well, now there was a reason Raven did not eat on nights Gar cooked. Raven liked real food: real meat, real milk, real eggs, _**real!**_ food, not soy or tofu.

"A double with cheese, grilled onions, everything on it, a strawberry milkshake, no drink, and a side of fries," Raven ordered.

"You'll eat all that!?" Damian gaped at her.

"I am a demon," she pointed out.

"Alright, make it three doubles with cheese, grilled onions, everything on them, three strawberry shakes, three sides of fries, a veggie burger with everything on it, a side of onion rings, one Diet Coke, and one Dr. Pepper," Jason ordered.

"That's a lot of food," Raven mused.

"I'm a big guy," he pointed out and Raven actually noticed for the first time just how large Jason really was. He wasn't out of shape, just… Batman big. Though she was willing to bet he was a bit thicker in the shoulders than Bruce was, and perhaps just an inch shorter. Dick was on the leaner side at about five ten in height, and Tim seemed to have stopped growing at five six, and Damian was almost taller than her. However, Jason was huge, and she was wondering how she had missed it.

"You should consider being a vegetarian," Damian said to Jason sharply.

"I will get you a puppy just to piss off the Bat clan and Bird Brains one through four if you shut up and never tell me to be a vegetarian again," Jason stated.

"Really!?" Damian perked up. Raven chuckled.

"Really," Jason deadpanned.

"Careful, you might end up buying him a zoo if you're not careful," Raven mused feeling genuine excitement rolling off Damian for the first time since Garfield had adopted a kitten three months ago.

"Will it irritate Bats?" he asked seriously.

"Yes," she and Damian answered in unison.

"Then I might, if you behave, do your homework, eat your vegetables, don't kill me, do exactly what Raven tells you to do and I'll consider," Jason conceded.

"I will consider the terms then," Damian contemplated seriously.

"Can't the circus freak just take him to the circus to see the animals?" Jason asked.

"Be nice," Raven warned.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved off as he started looking through his wallet for the money. "Wrong guy to be asking to be nice."

"I still do not like him," Damian muttered to her. Raven just sighed.

Families were complicated; well, unless it was hers', hers' was rather straight forward. However, until Raven had become friends with Victor, Kori, Gar and Dick she had thought families to be loving. Wrong she was, they were complicated as hell.

And the Bats family won the contest of complicated; hands down, it was not even a competition in her mind as to who had the most complicated family. Bruce had collected children and tried his best, but Raven knew where he went wrong and she knew how it complicated each Wayne in their own way. Jason would be no exception, except that he wished to remain dead to them, and them dead to him. It was frustrating, and hilarious to her that Damian refused to trust his second eldest brother, not that he knew that Jason was his brother.

"Well, until this is over and that book is back in little bird's hands we're stuck together," Jason countered before she could sooth Damian. "And trust me, this is the last thing I wanted to be doing."

"Both of you will have to get along, else I'm sending you back to the Tower," she pointedly looked at Damian as Jason took the food and set it in between them before he started driving.

"So you will not punish him?" Damian accused.

"No, I'll destroy him if he double crosses me," Raven shrugged as she started sorting through the food and handed Damian his share.

"That seems adequate," Damian decided.

"I'd rather not be destroyed, just speaking from personal experiences here, little bird," Jason mused as she handed him a partially unwrapped burger.

"No doubt that's your preference, and should we get the book I can assure you that you will remain in one piece," she promised.

"That's promising," he grinned before taking a massive bite of his burger. Raven just gathered hers' and started munching on her own burger, savoring the consistent goodness of Big Belly Burger. It was amazing how it was delicious no matter where in the States one had it. Absolutely fucking delicious. Raven loved it.

"It should be, I wanted to annihilate you the other morning," she pointed out and he chuckled.

"You're too much of an angel to kill me," he pointed out.

"I'm a demon," she countered.

"Does it matter?" Damian finally asked and Raven looked at him; after her months of trying to get him to accept her as herself she was shocked to hear such a childish question from him.

"Not really," Jason answered for her. "It's just another label and a part of who you are, like I'm a thief, you're Robin, it's all just a part of you. Right, angel?"

"Don't call me that, and yes, it's just a part of who I am," Raven agreed.

"Then you're a Titan," Damian shrugged and Raven hid her grin in her burger as Jason smirked.

"There you go, you're a Titan," Jason agreed.

She wanted to tell him he was a Bat then, but she didn't as she sat there staring out at the road. Absently a tune on the radio caught her attention and she hummed as she ate. It was the most peaceful she had felt in a while, neither Jason nor Damian were draining her emotionally and she felt calm. It was a pleasant realization for her as she ate her burger and hummed with the radio.

Damian and Jason did the one thing Dick couldn't do and she found it a breath of fresh air as she rolled her window down and let the breeze wash over her.

These two Bats did silence.

Not the thick heavy, thinking, awkward, brooding silences, just silence, and Raven found it peaceful. Passing the fries back to Damian she tossed the burger wrappers away and handed Jason his. It was kind of fun, just feeling normal, like she was on a road trip. She'd done a few with Victor, and those were fun but this was kind of relaxing in a strange way.

"For Shadowcrest, it's magically protected," Damian started. "Do you need anything?"

"I packed all the essentials," Raven assured him. The boy nodded and pulled out a sketchbook as he started drawing.

"And if you need something, angel?" Jason prompted.

"Don't call me that, and if I should need something then I will go collect it. The magic world isn't all that large, at least, not with the serious sorcerers and magicians," Raven dismissed.

"Zatanna is a serious magician," Damian pointed out.

"I know," Raven assured them. "And let me worry about the magic."

"I hate magic," both Jason and Damian muttered, she smirked as she took a bite of her fry.

"Not your jurisdiction, boys?" she mused. They both glared at her.

* * *

"We are not having this argument again!" he snapped at his older cousin as he shoved his stuff in his bag. He'd never be good enough for them, not for the great John Zatara; now Dr. Fate or his perfect daughter, Zatanna Zatara and he hated it.

"This isn't about that Zachary!" she shouted back.

"Then what is it!?" he demanded.

"Please, just… just stay the weekend, I'll talk with Batman, and Dick and we'll… if…" she sighed. "If it's that important to you then I'll help you get there."

"I shouldn't be stuck in your shadow!" he snapped, his frustrations rising. He hadn't really wanted to join the Titans, no, but it was the fact he'd never been asked which was really pissing him off. It was the principles of such matters, he wasn't just someone who could be shrugged off!

"You're not! You're not in my shadow!" his cousin argued.

"I've been locked away, no one cares or knows my name, I say I'm a Zatara and it's 'Oh, you know Zatanna!" he shouted.

"Zacharay please, just the weekend," she sighed.

"If you don't talk to them I'm walking," he warned as he stalked past her and up the stairs.

* * *

Damian looked at Jason and Raven; his current models, and he watched as they talked. It wasn't a chatty sort of talk, no, they were talking about books. Nerds. Not that he was surprised that Raven could talk books, he'd peeked into her room before and even managed to sneak in once before he was thrown out; the woman had more books than his grandfather and father. Which was saying something. However, what was a surprise was that Jason talked books like Raven did, it was a bit odd since Damian was still certain that Jason could not be the nefarious Red X. Jason was just so… abrasive, it was offensive really, and not to mention the man was about as educated as a fly; but here he was having a serious talk with Raven about books. Books! Classic novels to be specific.

Currently Raven and Jason were debating which piece of Charles Dickens was the greatest, not that it really interested Damian. Sighing he continued his drawing of them in the front seat, the light was a bit off, and he found it vexing that it wasn't perfect. However, he was too bored to start a new drawing so he continued the drawing. Moving to add himself in the backseat; it was kind of fun.

"Alright, we'll agree to disagree," Raven sighed.

"Best revenge story?" he asked.

"Count of Monte Cristo," Raven replied.

"That's a good story," Jason chuckled.

"You ever actually read it?" Damian finally asked as he looked up from his sketch.

"Actually, yeah, I did, in French too, I have a first addition safely tucked away," Jason replied with a smirk. Damian blinked.

"Really?"

"And I even bought it, shortstack," Jason chuckled.

"Really?" Raven asked then.

"I don't steal everything! Take this car, I bought and restored her myself, and same with all the weapons," Jason defended.

"I was unaware that you were civilized enough to buy things," Damian pointed out. Jason just smirked and looked out at the road.

"I buy things, help the little people, small businesses as it were, and there's few things in life worth buying; good books, good weaponry, good armor, and good vehicles," Jason stated.

"And food," Raven piped up.

"You can't cook," Damian pointed out.

"No, I can't, but Victor can, I buy the food, he cooks, we don't starve," Raven pointed out.

"You can't cook, little bird?" Jason asked.

"She tried to poison us my first week there with unidentified gooey brown things," Damian stated. Raven frowned.

"Pancakes, no they weren't great, but it wasn't that bad," she defended.

"It exploded and landed on the ceiling where it remained until Grayson noticed it last week," Damian flatly informed her and Jason just burst into laughter. Raven shrugged.

"Beats tofu," she muttered.

"Can the demon brat cook?" Jason finally asked.

"He'd burn water," Raven maliciously smirked at him and he gaped.

"That is not possible! Water cannot be burnt, it evaporates," he huffed.

"It's the silver spoon, love, he'll never be able to fend for himself," Jason whispered conspiratorially to Raven.

"I have never had a silver spoon, and I have been fending for myself very well since I was a small child," he snapped.

"Smaller child," Jason countered, Damian growled lowly. He hated how familiar Jason acted with him, and more than that he hated how comfortable he was around Jason. It was like being around Grayson or Drake or Brown or his family! It was frustrating and it was nice.

"I will kill you," he snarled.

"Do it after we get to the hotel," Jason dismissed. "So if he can't cook either, what's he complaining about your cooking for?"

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"Because we were in the infirmary," Damian reminded her.

"Unrelated, I checked you myself," Raven waved off. Damian frowned.

"Where are we staying in Newark?"

"I got a safe place there; though after this job I'm ditching it so feel free to memorize where it is and tell Bats, I'm sure he'll just love being eight steps behind as usual," Jason sniggered.

"I will tell father, and I will tell him your name," Damian triumphantly stated.

"Which one? I have so many."

Damian scowled; he wasn't going to be thwarted, he would beat the Red X and drag him to Grayson for his punishment. Red X would no longer elude them.

"I'll give you a week's head start, if we get the book back," Raven shrugged.

"You are a dear, little bird, but I'll just need an hour to lose the Bats," Jason shrugged.

"You're confident about that," Damian observed.

"I've earned the confidence," Jason pointed out and Damian continued his sketch then.

"I could sketch father your face," he pointed out.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled about that, take a picture when you do show him that sketch and send it to me," Jason maliciously smiled like a shark and Damian furrowed his brow. This was… unusual. Jason was so candid about showing his face and being himself, he was completely relaxed, and it was a bit off putting to Damian. Shouldn't there be some fear?

His father was the world's best detective and would find Jason, and yet, Jason didn't seem overly concerned about it. Raven didn't speak up either like she knew something about this he didn't and once again Damian found himself irked about trusting people he didn't know or who didn't care to tell him the whole story.

"And if I were to show Grayson the portrait?"

"Also take his picture and send it to me, I'd love to see that reaction," Jason chuckled.

"You're infuriating!" Damian grounded out through gritted teeth.

"I try."

"Damian, worry about capturing Red after we get the book back, else I'd have just arrested him when I found him," Raven informed him.

"As if you could," Jason snorted.

"Do you doubt my abilities?" Raven challenged coldly and Damian looked up as the air in the car drastically cooled and the shadows danced a bit.

"No, but I just happen to know my own and know that you can't capture me," Jason stated flatly.

"We'll see about that," Raven grumbled darkly.

"I have no doubt about that," he mused. "After this is all over you and I might need to go a few rounds, no kid gloves and after proper sleep."

"Maybe," Raven passively agreed.

"I'll fight you!" Damian grinned then, he would love to fight this Red X guy if he was as good as Grayson made him out to be. It would be a true challenge and Damian rather liked a challenge.

"I'll consider it, kid, but I'll warn you now I will not go easy on you just because you're a kid. I'll give you hell because you're a Bat too, if you can handle that I might consider fighting you, next time," Jason shrugged.

"Why not now?"

"Because, sunshine here needs us in one piece to retrieve that book of hers, right?" Jason asked Raven.

"At this moment, it is preferred if you two are in one piece, after this everything is up for grabs," she shrugged.

Damian liked that as he leant back in his corner again and resumed his doodle.

"Classic romances," Raven decided.

"I'd say Jane Austen, but…" Jason started and Damian pulled his earphones out as he enjoyed the music, the car, the pencil and the paper and continued to sketch the moment with Raven and Jason and himself now. It was soothing, it was nice, and he liked where he was for the first time in a long time. For the first time in a long time he liked exactly where he was, the last time it had happened was earlier this year when he'd been hanging out with Grayson before the Court of Owls and the Titans and before father had stated that he didn't trust him.

Before he felt alone again.

* * *

They pulled into the neighborhood in the late half of the afternoon after a delay because of an accident. Raven winced at the sight around them as she felt the hostility rolling off everyone, and felt the danger of being here. Glancing back she noticed that Damian was sound asleep and looked at Jason.

"You're certain about being here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm sure about being here, the safe house is on the corner, I have supplies there," Jason said as he pulled up to the curb. Raven looked up a horrible, creaky building which should be condemned and sighed.

"I'll wake Damian," she decided as she twisted around and used her powers as she pulled all his weapons out of his reach. Jason was out of the car gathering the stuff out of the trunk and Raven tapped Damian's shoulder lightly.

The young boy bolted up with a roar as he grabbed for a weapon.

"We're here," she calmly pointed out as she felt him relax before she levitated his weapons back to him and stood up as she got out of the car. She moaned as she stretched, properly for the first time in hours, popping her vertebra before she walked to the trunk and hefted up her duffle and her backpack. Damian appeared beside her as he grabbed his own gear, Jason locked up and they followed him.

"Home sweet home," he chuckled and Raven sighed sadly. It was the comfort and familiarity she felt off him as they walked through a place which felt like a warzone which saddened her.

"Alright, tomorrow night you'll teleport us to Shadowcrest, that should be enough time for us to get everything ready to go," Jason said as he opened up the stale safe house.

"That's fine," she managed. She wanted to get the book now, to retrieve the Nevermore, but she was aware that charging into the lair of a Zatara with no plan was both foolish and suicidal.

"Demon brat, don't destroy the place any more than it already is, and I've got to go talk to a man about a few things. Stay here," Jason growled the last part low and in a warning tone.

"I do not take orders from you, troglodyte," Damian snapped.

"Good one, but stay here if you want to stay alive, I'll be back after midnight," Jason waved off as he shut the door and locked it.

"Time to get to work," Raven sighed as she slowly lowered her bag and shut up the dingy apartment's windows.

"What are you going to be doing?" Damian asked her.

"The Zatara family are renowned magicians, they practice a form of light magic, and they are very good. I do not practice light magic, so I am preparing for whatever I might run into," Raven said calmly.

"What's the difference between your magic and this light magic, isn't magic magic?" Damian challenged.

"Not quite, magic is energy, I'm half demon, I have a natural affinity for the Dark Arts, it's as easy to me as breathing, however I can perform light magic, and soul magic as well, but not as well as I can perform dark magic. It's about energy," Raven swiftly explained as she pulled her books out. "It's all complicated, but mostly I practice the Dark Arts."

"Why? Isn't that evil?" Damian asked.

"Magic is not that black and white, Damian. Nothing ever is, however, my Magic is natural to me, but to other's there's a price to be had for practicing such powerful, dangerous magic, usually in the form of a soul or life or time," Raven shrugged.

"Then why practice it?"

"Because, I am the Gem of Scath," Raven shrugged and she levitated the books she had brought and sat lotus style in the air. "Rest Damian, everything will be fine."

"I'm not worried about it," the boy snapped.

"Damian, I am an empath, and I am telling you not to worry, I do this all the time," Raven shrugged.

"And what's the cost of your magic?" he murmured, he looked so vulnerable and small and then he looked away as if ashamed of his question.

"Damian," she coaxed softly until the boy was looking at her again. "I'm the daughter of Trigon, I've already been condemned to an eternity to Hell, I would not worry about the cost of my magic."

"But…!" he started.

"I'm a demon, now go rest, everything is going to be alright."

The boy reluctantly yawned before he walked to the mattress and settled swiftly into a light sleep. Raven took a steadying breath before she focused on centering herself and opening her mind.

* * *

"'Ello!?" a sleepy voice answered the phone.

"I need a favor," he said calmly.

"Ah bloody, buggering hell! Can't you learn to not play with magic! Or practice it yourself if you need it!?" the grumpy voice snapped.

"Well I would, but you and I know that I don't have a drop of magic in me," Jason chuckled.

"Fucking Lazurus Pit is magic! And miraculous resurrection counts as magic as well!" the voice snapped.

"Not my worry, anyway, I need your help, and we'll consider this even or an I.O.U.," Jason shrugged.

"We'll be even?" the older man questioned skeptically.

"Or I'll be in your debt depending on how you take this favor," Jason decided.

"What do you want?"

"You know your ex…" Jason started and by the time he was done all he received was;

"Bloody Hell, I'll be there in an hour."

Sighing Jason let his head fall back as he stared around the shithole of Newark and rubbed his brow. Life would be easier if he could just stay dead! Then again, he was having fun fucking with the Bats, and winding up the Bird Brains.

On the bright side, Jason chuckled, he was free, free as a bird so to speak. However returning to Gotham for something other than killing the Joker was weighing on him. it was tiring really. He was enjoying his second life; well, once he'd escaped the League of Assassins, left Gotham, stolen the Red X suit and taken up the life of a contractor. It wasn't a great life, he knew that, however, he was enjoying his second life as he stood up and started walking through Newark to a dive bar where he'd meet up with John.

* * *

Standing over the map of the country she growled, he was in country, there was no way he had the resources to get out of country fast enough, at least, she doubted he had those resources. Picking through his safe house had revealed very little about him, other than Jason was very creative with where to hide his weapons.

Sighing she rubbed her brow and checked her computer; it was running an algorithm for known aliases for Jason Todd, and possible aliases. She was going to find him, and she was going to kill him, and then she was going to murder a certain Titan.

Briefly Talia toyed with the idea of stopping in Gotham to say hello to her beloved and inquire about their child; though she knew her son was already with Grayson at the Titans. It was disappointing to say the least. She looked up when a man walked in.

"My father send you?" she asked indifferently.

"He heard about your miss," the older man shrugged. She frowned.

"I was unprepared to kill a Titan," she defended. "But I will not mess up again."

"Ra's sent me because it was a Titan the deserter was with," the man smiled maliciously.

"I will handle the problem, Deathstroke," she warned.


	10. Missing Bats, Dead Bats, New Bats

"You're really going to break into Shadowcrest?" Constantine asked ludicrously.

"What's the problem, it's not like I'm robbing the House of Mystery, and she double crossed me first," Jason growled lowly as he sipped his beer.

"It's not that, it's… I thought you were done with magic," John sighed.

"I am a thief," Jason repeated. "I was contracted to steal the book, I did, I even had a pissed off demon after me, and I got paid for stealing the book. However, as in the terms of agreement for acquiring my services, no double crossing or the other Red comes after you."

"No, I get it, but I just… are you sure Z took the bloody book?" Constantine asked.

"It's my fucking starting point, and I'm relatively certain she hired me to steal it," Jason stated flatly.

"Well, I'm always up for a wee bit of mischief, but I've got my own problems to handle, I'll help you with Shadowcrest, but then you're in my debt," Constantine warned.

"Fine," Jason waved off. He didn't mind owing John a favor, it wasn't like John's favors were all that horrible. "Whatever you want pal."

"You do know my friends die, right?" Constantine said with dark humor lacing his tone.

"You do know I'm allergic to death," Jason countered. Constantine was laughing then as his head fell back.

"Yeah, here's the Shadowcrest blueprints, but you did not get them from me. And tell your sorceress that the house doesn't take too kindly to demons," Constantine waved his hand and a set of scrolls materialized.

"I never…" Jason started and John gave him a hard look.

"The Gem of Scath is an elusive demon, and a hell of a sorceress but she's a demon all the same, Jason, a very powerful one at that," Constantine said firmly as he sipped his drink. Jason lifted a brow.

"Gem of Scath?"

"She's the daughter of Trigon, a king of demons, she was born to rule at his side, a Princess of Hell so to speak, no doubt if she were to be in her father's realm she'd be a Queen. The Azarathians who sheltered her and raised her, they supposedly taught the Gem to control her demon. The Azarathians prophesized her opening the door which would bring Trigon to earth and destroying all worlds mortal. They were right in a manner of speaking, but Azarath will never know that."

"What is Azarath, I know in the League files it's listed as a dimension and that book as the last relic of Azarath, but I've seen a good portion of the multiverse and never heard or saw it," Jason said.

"Not surprising, lad. Azarath was sort of behind the veil of all multiverses, all seeing, all knowing behind the veil of the universe. It was said they were a peaceful world, and spiritual, practicing mystic arts we could only dream of, I'm sure if Fate were here he'd have more to say on the Azarathians," John said as he sipped his beer.

"What happened to them?"

"Azarath was destroyed, by Trigon," Constantine said indifferently.

"How?"

"The Gem of Scath, she's a conduit for Trigon, a very powerful one at that, she accidenitally opened a door to Azarath and Trigon came, destroying it all; she was merely a child, and then Trigon stole her away to his realm, after that, somehow, she came to be on earth. I don't know the whole story, just the whispers and rumors of what I have heard from other demons and sorcerers," John shrugged. Jason frowned as he stared at his beer.

"'Side's the silly prophecy came and passed already, she was powerful enough to banish Trigon back to his realm, saving us, can't be all bad if she banish a demon as strong as Trigon," Constantine chuckled.

Jason shot him a confused look. "I thought you wouldn't like demons."

"They aren't all evil, a bloke I know is merged with a powerful one and he's not all bad. Demons are just… dangerous. They're like a wild animal, impossible to predict, and very dangerous, but dangerous isn't always bad. The Gem of Scath, from what I've heard, is a passive creature, while her nephew, the bloke I was telling you about, he's aggressive," Constantine shrugged.

"Passive my ass," he snorted. "Thanks for the blue prints."

"Jay, be careful in that house, Z isn't a weak one, and she hates the Gem of Scath," Constantine warned.

"Her name is Raven," Jason warned lowly. "And Zatanna is only on my shit list because she double crossed me. That makes her my enemy, and if Raven's my ally, I think Zatanna should be the one worrying."

"Agreed, I won't be warning her if you're concerned about that," Constantine said slowly. "Azarath sorcery belongs to the last Azarathian, not to anyone else."

"Thanks Constantine, I owe you one," Jason said as he walked out of the bar then and made his way to his safe house.

He frowned at the paintings on his floor, the wax, the candles, the scent of inscents and the faint scent of blood. However, he ignored it as he carefully moved around all the paintings; not willing to fuck with magic and end up in another dimension or turned into a bat or something.

He made it to his sleeping room and saw Raven sound asleep on a bedroll, Damian claiming the mattress. Sighing he stripped off his clothes and pulled on his pajama pants; snagged a shirt as an after thought and stretched out beside Raven.

For such a powerful demon, she was tiny, he thought as she shifted on her stomach and scooted into him on her own. Exhaustion claimed him as he yanked a blanket over him and Raven and he decided he wouldn't be childish about sleeping with her. It was chilly in the apartment after all.

* * *

He was too fucking exhausted after dealing with Superboy the day before and yesterday that he had collapsed in his living quarters on his bed and opted to sleep for a year. Between talking to Superboy the day before, and having Tim sit there and talk to Superboy, Dick had spent most of yesterday trying to figure out how to talk to Superman about the existence of the clone; it was exhausting.

Life was exhausting as of late.

Not in the bad, depressing way, but rather in the 'there's one of me, eight of you, a thousand things to do, have patience, I'm working on it' way. When Damian had shown up earlier this year and they had sorted everything about the League of Assassins, the Pit, Slade Wilson, and where Damian would be staying, Dick had decided he'd have to step up more as a big brother. With both Tim and Damian. And while he and Tim were good; had been since Tim had donned the mantel of Robin, Damian was a different story.

Damian was a handful to say the least, he was so unlike any other child that there was that it was a bit ridiculous to try to treat him as a child. However, Damian was ten, and he needed to be a child. And after all the shit the kid had gone through, both before being dumped on Bruce by Talia al Ghul, and after, the kid needed… family. And the Bat family was perpetually dysfunctional as hell. Also, by taking Damian out of Gotham he was out of the reach of both Talon and Talia, and Dick would do anything to keep his baby brother away from the psychos of Gotham and the League of Assassins.

But aside from Tim and Damian, there was Bruce to worry about; not that he had to worry about Batman, but Bruce he had to worry about. Bruce was the not-great-but-still-trying father who was paranoid that something bad would happen to them, Bruce was the father who had lost his son, and who didn't know how to be a father but tried all the same.

And to add to his exhaustion of life there was now Barbara and Kori to deal with. He and Kori had a nice thing going, steady for a year, not quite boyfriend and girlfriend, but more than just friends with benefits. Truthfully, until Bruce had insisted on the Titans having technical support and Barbara being said support, he had been planning on taking Kori on an official date and uncomplicating this part of his life. But with Barbara here he wasn't certain about this, or how to proceed. Dick had loved Barbara, and he still did in a way, for a long time, she'd been a dear friend in a moment of his life where he'd been in hell, and she'd helped save him. But whatever spark, whatever flame had been between them in their youth, it had extinguished when the Joker had broken her and she had shut him out and he'd let her shut him out.

But with his family, and confusing relationships, also came all the work he did as Nightwing, Dick, Richard Grayson, and a member of the Titans and the League. It was exhausting to try to keep up with all that.

And perhaps it was this exhaustion which had made him miss it. Perhaps he hadn't noticed because he was already stretched so thinly and he had come to rely on Raven to be there to keep him propped up. Raven was good like that, she was like a sister to him and she was his savior where Damian was concerned. Perhaps it was the fact he was so comfortable here in the Tower that he hadn't noticed it. However it had slipped his notice, even as he cracked his weary eyes open at the sound of his ringing phone and an empty bed.

Yawning he reached for his phone and looked at the caller before sighing, wincing, sitting up and looking around his room for Kori. She wasn't here, he felt his cold bed and groaned as he fell back; complicated! For about a year, whenever he was in Tower or in San Francisco, he and Kori shared a bed; and right now she wasn't there.

Groaning he got out of his bed, noted that it was five in the morning, the only two who would be up would be Raven and Damian. Damian got up and four-thirty every morning to train; unless the Titans had had a ridiculously late night mission. And Raven would be getting ready to meditate at five, they always shared a morning cup of tea and coffee at five.

Walking out of his room with his phone in hand he made his way down to the kitchen and noted the absolute silence, not even the hum of the holographs running, which had him sighing as he walked to the coffee. Raven hadn't made it, frowning he just did it himself as he waited, waited for both the coffee and Raven to materialize from the shadows.

She didn't show, he just shrugged it off to her being exhausted as he sat at the kitchen table and dialed back Bruce.

"Dick I need you to do me a favor," Bruce started when he answered the phone on the second ring.

"Morning Dick, how are you? Oh, I'm good, just exhausted, Supes has a clone, I haven't slept well in four days, and I'm exhausted. Also, my alien girlfriend, the one you're not overly fond of, is mad at me for letting my childhood sweetheart live here, and I woke up in my bed here, alone for the first time in a year after having a steady thing with Kori going, thanks for asking though," Dick sarcastically filled in his guardian. As much as he loved Bruce, Bruce wasn't his father, no one would ever be able to take his father's place in his heart or mind, and Dick refused to entertain the idea of calling Bruce 'Dad'. But Bruce was a guardian, and Bruce was alright with that.

"Sorry, Dick," Bruce sighed.

"It's alright, we're still training you," Dick shrugged; he had Tim in on him with the correcting Bruce on how a father was supposed to be, hopefully Bruce would be a better father for Damian. "Now, what's so important you're calling at five in the morning?"

"I have some news," Bruce started.

"Of course you do, else you wouldn't have been calling," Dick stated as he sipped his overly sweetened coffee, it was so warm, and good, it was like coming to life again.

"I'm going to need your help talking to Damian and Tim about this," Bruce said firmly, but the undercut of uncertainty was what had Dick sitting up straight in his chair.

"What is it Bruce? You're officially scaring me. You're not dying are you!?" Dick felt the panic coming at the thought of losing Bruce; he wasn't ready to be an orphan again, and he was not ready to be shoved into the mantel of Batman; and he didn't want it. No, Dick was happily waiting for Damian to be all grown up to take the Batman mantle.

"I'm not dying," Bruce stated firmly.

"Oh thank God," Dick sighed as he fell back in his seat. "So what's up?"

"Selina's pregnant," Bruce stated and Dick burst into laughter; it couldn't be helped. From the age of thirteen Bruce had been hounding it into him to use protection, to be safe, to be smart, to accept the consequences of sex if protection failed and to never treat a woman as anything less than a lady; regardless of what she did for a living or how she acted. And now, in the span of a year, Bruce was telling him that he had not only sired one baby, but two; it was priceless!

It also revoked Bruce's lecturing rights on protection.

"After all the lectures you gave me!" Dick laughed. "You have a ten year old show up on your door step, and now Selina in less than a span of a year! This is great! You can't lecture me anymore about protection! I've never even had a pregnancy scare! This is great!"

"I will still lecture you so you do not get to being my age and have a ten year old showing on a yacht not the doorstep," Bruce grounded out.

"Nope! I've never had a pregnancy scare, and my current girlfriend and I haven't even had to worry about the possibility. And yacht, doorstep, tomato-tomata," he shrugged. "Congratulations are in order I take it."

"Yes," Bruce said uncertainly.

"Tell Selina I said hi, congrats, and welcome to the family. Oh, and I want a baby brother," Dick stated happily. "She is going to be a part of the family, right? I like Selina, why better than that manipulative bitch Talia."

"She'll be happy to hear that, and we're working that out," Bruce sighed. "Also, you know you cannot make requests as to the gender of a baby, right?"

"I know, but face it Bruce, we have no idea what to do with girls, Barbara's Barbara, and Cass is a former assassin, and Stephanie's Cluemaster's daughter, both girls are more of Barbara's than ours," Dick pointed out.

"Still can't will it to be a boy," Bruce pointed out.

"I can hope, also, is this why it was suddenly imperative that Tim and Stephanie join up with the Titans? I get having Damian here, and I get that those three need to work on being a team, but your push was sudden," Dick pointed out.

"The reasons of needing them to be a unit are also true. And after Wonder Girl, Supergirl, and Superboy's near death attempt at a mission is also a true factor in my pushing them to join the Titans. But yes, the pregnancy was a private factor as well, Selina and I will work this out, without interference, but Dick… I'll be in San Francisco next week, I would like to sit down with all of you and talk about this," Bruce carefully and the wheels in Dick's head spun.

Damian wasn't overly fond of Tim and he barely tolerated the rest of the adopted clan and preened over being Bruce's only blood son and rightful heir. There could be problems forming with this announcement and Damian's attitude.

"I'll talk to Raven, see if she can help me with talking to Damian," he sighed. Raven was perhaps Damian's only friend outside of the family, Dick was hoping this would change in time, but it was a good start. Also, Raven was a good role model for Damian, Dick would have sworn she was like a big sister or mother to Damian with how she had taken to treating him.

"Raven?"

"I need reinforcements, and Raven's good at getting through to Damian, you know this. Besides she'll keep it all to herself, Raven doesn't gossip," Dick pointed out. He was pretty certain that all of Damian's calls home had elements of Raven in them.

"Just… don't have the entire Titans know, else the League will know and everyone will know," Bruce grouched.

"I get it, how far along is she?"

"Ten weeks."

"Hey, wasn't that after…" Dick started and frowned. "How long have you two been officially, secretly dating then."

"Since before Damian came here," Bruce answered.

"Wow, almost a year then," Dick said in awe. Brucie tended to be frivolous in his dating life, Bruce Wayne sought to stay single or have a connection, and Batman couldn't have attachments or love. Dick was impressed. True Bruce and Selina had been dancing around each other since before he'd ever even known Bruce, but to actually hear that they were a couple… it was impressive.

"Congrats, send Selina my love and try to do right by her," Dick grinned at taking over the father role at the moment.

"Talk to Damian," Bruce pleaded.

"No worries, baby bird will be ready to be a brother before I'm through with him," Dick announced. "Call me when you want to arrange that sit down, I'll make certain Tim and Damian won't kill each other before then."

"Thank you, Dick," Bruce sighed.

"Talk to you later Bruce," he smiled as he hung up and then stared up at the ceiling.

Another sibling…

Another spawn of Bruce Wayne, with Selina Kyle as the mother, the world wasn't ready for that but Dick was kind of looking forward to it. If Jason were alive to be here he'd have been excited, Tim was going to be nervous but thrilled, and Damian… Damian was a wild card. Hopefully Dick could coax the youngest Robin around to the idea of being a big brother; this was going to take a lot of help.

Thank God for Raven, demon or not, Raven was an angel for putting up with him and his family being shoved on her. Finishing his coffee he noted the time and decided he'd go find Raven and talk to her about helping him with Damian and getting Damian to like the idea of being a big brother. After making his way back up to the living quarters he walked the hall, pausing outside of Kori's door he was tempted to walk in and join her in bed for some more sleep, however, he needed to talk to Raven. He'd talk to Kori later. Walking to Raven's room he lightly knocked, there was no answer. Slowly he walked in, careful of her wards, and left the door open just in case her room decided to pitch him out.

"Raven?" he called out, he stopped at her bed and frowned at the man's leather jacket on it and the empty bed. Where was she? And who's jacket was this? Picking up the jacket he slowly walked out of the room; careful not to touch anything. Coming into the hall he quietly shut the door and looked up when Victor emerged from his room.

"Hey, Cy, have you seen Raven?" he asked.

"Who? What!? I don't know anything! Rae's out!" Victor scrambled and Dick's eyes narrowed on his giant friend.

"Victor, where is Raven?" he repeated slowly and clearly.

"Uh… She's tracking Red X! He broke into her room, stole something and she's been tracking him down, Damian is with her, I insisted she didn't do this alone, and obviously, I can't leave else who'd be in charge of her team!? You're too busy for the training stuff, and Damian volunteered to go with her! I don't know anything else! I swear!" Victor balked.

"Raven chasing Red X! And my baby brother is out there without protection!" Dick paled at the thought; Talia wanted Damian back and the League of Assassins would go after him now that he was out of Batman's protection! Oh shit!

"He's with Rae," Victor pointed out.

"That's not the point! The League of Assassins, Talia al Ghul, wants him back!"

"What!? Does he know!?"

"No! Bruce and I thought it was for the best if he wasn't tempted to return to them!" Dick snapped.

"Oh shit," Victor paled more.

"We have to find him before the Assassins find out he's out there on his own with only Raven to protect him!" Dick shouted.

He also had to find Damian before Bruce found out he was missing; else Dick was dead.

* * *

Bruce felt a bit more confident about broaching the whole family thing with his children now that he had talked to Dick and Dick had been excited. Truthfully, though he had suspected Selina was pregnant, he hadn't officially known until yesterday when he'd met up with her for lunch and he'd never been more scared. Well, except when Talia had shown up and presented Damian as his son, finding out about Damian had scared the shit out of him. But he loved that boy, just as he loved all his sons and he was striving to try to be a father to Damian and to teach his boy that there was more to the world than the Assassins who had brainwashed him and were now seeking him out.

Sighing he leant back in his seat as he contemplated how this could work and tried to predict how Damian would react to the news. Of all his children Damian was the most difficult, and the most like Jason; more serious than Jason, but Damian still possessed the same anger, rage, temper and views on killing and going off alone. Bruce was trying to reign him in, trying to stop his youngest's reckless behavior, but found it difficult.

At least until Dick had decided to move Damian in with the Titans.

True Damian was still reckless, still violent, still brash, but he was calmer. Bruce figured it was Raven's doing, all of Damian's calls home were filled with the demoness's words, her advice, her help, and just Raven. He'd have found it amusing that his youngest had a crush on the Titan if not for the fact that Raven was a demon. And while he trusted Raven with his family completely, he was also well aware that she had dangerous powers she chose to keep to herself that no one in the League knew about.

Dragging a hand through his hair he took another steadying breath before standing, buttoning his suit, grabbing his needed files, and walking out of the office to head for a board meeting. Tonight he and Selina would be talking, and Alfred had the night off. It was all quiet in Gotham, and if he hadn't known where all the lunatic criminals were at this moment, he'd have thought it too quiet. Like the calm before the storm.

Still, Bruce couldn't shake this uncanny feeling that trouble was coming despite the world all but telling him it was at peace.

Something bad was about to happen, he could feel it in his gut.

* * *

Raven was not surprised to wake with Jason again, or to have his heavy arm tossed over her back, or for him to be so close. He was very warm, and she was very comfortable where she was. Turning her head she looked up on the bed to see Damian staring at her with curious, unblinking eyes; a habit from his father and brothers no doubt, Dick and Tim both did this look as well. A low moan escaped her as she stretched out a bit on her stomach, not dislodging Jason, and then she sighed before giving Damian her undivided attention.

"Morning," she breathed in a hushed tone.

"When are we moving on Shadowcrest?" the boy asked.

"Tonight," came the mumbled reply from Jason who was sleeping on his stomach, facing away from them. "Go to sleep."

"I can't there's gunshots across the street," Damian hissed.

"Go to fucking sleep! Cops will take care of it!" Jason hissed.

"This is a very unsafe place to have a safe house, worse than Crime Alley," Damian wrinkled his nose a bit in disgust and Raven chuckled as Jason came awake then and propped himself up beside her.

"Not all of the world grows up in palaces with guards, tutors, and money Damian. Be grateful, and this is a perfectly safe, safe house!" Jason growled lowly. The sound of sirens blaring had Raven rolling onto her back as she stretched and sat up.

"How about tea and breakfast then we'll discuss Shadowcrest," Raven yawned.

"Please don't cook," Damian pleaded.

"I'm cooking twerp so shut it, sunshine'll make the tea," Jason groaned as he stretched and sat up too.

"You can cook?" Raven and Damian asked at the same time.

"Yes, and I'm an excellent cook," Jason stated.

"I doubt it," Damian snorted.

"Just cause you can burn water does not mean the rest of us mortals are inept at cooking," Jason sighed as he got to his feet and left them in the bedroom. Raven looked at Damian who was now looking a bit more curious than angry.

"Why is he sleeping with you?" Damian asked.

"You mean aside from the fact it's cold, there's one mattress with good blankets, and I have the bedroll?" Raven clarified.

"He did it in the hotel too," Damian pointed out.

"Because he wanted to sleep on a bed, and now, probably because it's cold," Raven admitted. She doubted there was another reason she and Jason had taken to being so close so quickly.

"Grayson shares a bed with Kori," Damian said so innocently Raven felt like she'd been creamed by a linebacker then.

"That's different," she assured him.

"I know, but I thought that's why people shared beds," Damian snorted.

"Damian, worry about it when you're older, for now, Red seems intent on sleeping on a bed or with a blanket, though he's a furnace," Raven sighed as she dragged her fingers through her hair.

"If he tries anything I will disembowel him," Damian said firmly.

"Good to know, let's get breakfast," Raven decided as she stood up and stretched. She was still in her pajamas as she walked into the living area.

* * *

Damian wasn't a fool, he knew why people slept together and what they wanted; he'd walked in on his grandfather once, and his mother was not shy about the men who came to her bed. Dick and Kori slept together, Damian had snuck in one night before the dawn curious as to what Grayson's relationship with the alien was and found them sound asleep. And he'd seen his father sleeping in Catwoman's bed before too. He knew what people wanted when they shared beds, and what that usually meant.

Waking up to Jason and Raven together was different though.

It was comfortable. Damian had waited until they were awake before speaking, he did not want to disturb the peace he felt around them.

And now he was sitting at a battered table as Jason made batter and Raven made tea. Was this what normal felt like? To just sit at a table for breakfast and have people be calm? Damian didn't know, he didn't think there'd ever been a calm moment with the Titans or the Wayne family. And despite the obvious chaos outside, it was calm in here.

"Vanilla?" Jason yawned.

"Here," Raven said as she waved her hand to have a bottle float out of a cabinet.

"Thanks."

"What's for breakfast?" Damian asked.

"Waffles for me and little bird, you like pancakes so you'll be getting those," Jason informed him.

"That is acceptable," Damian decided.

"It's too early for the prince shit," Jason growled.

"Knock it off Damian," Raven chided and he just blinked at her as she made him a mug of tea. It was comfortable here, he kind of liked it as he accepted the mug Raven placed before him and she sat, Jason continued to make batter.


	11. Abracadabra! Alakazam!? Bib-Bidi-Bop-Bidi-boo?

"I don't know how to feel about letting him so close to that demon," Zatanna admitted as she walked the Watch Tower's halls with Dr. Fate; he was currently possessing her father's body, and talking to Fate, while not the same thing as talking to her father, did make her feel closer to her father.

"The Gem of Scath is growing in power," Dr. Fate observed.

"Yes, and I understand how people are deceived by the Gem into thinking she's good, but it's only a matter of time, and then what? I just… Zachary is the only family I have left, and I don't want him to be anywhere near the Gem," Zatanna admitted.

"I understand, I do not want the Gem in this realm any more than you, however the Gem is not like others of her kind, she is human which binds her to both realms, and both natures," Fate pointed out.

"Yes, but I thought with the destruction of Azarath by her hand that it would prove she can't be trusted," Zatanna growled lowly. She really wanted to keep Zachary safe, safe and sound and though he hated her guts, it was better he be alive to do that rather than dead.

"The actions of a child should not reflect on the adult, but I agree, she's very powerful and still growing. Perhaps having Zachary around her to monitor her would be beneficial for us," Fate suggested.

"But he couldn't handle her if she…"

"We would come."

* * *

"Hello, my brethren, I present to you, the last artifact of Azarath," the hired sorcerer announced as he placed the book with a thud on the table. "And within it, the key to destroying the Order, reshaping the world, and the powers of a god."

"And what's inside?" a different sorcerer asked, and he sighed.

"The Nevermore, the last Nevermore ever created," Klarion chuckled as he appeared stroking his familiar in his arms. "The last known Azarath Nevermore, to the mind of the Gem of Scath!"

"You mean…" another sorcerer started with interest.

"Yes, the prophecy was never fulfilled, it is time for the Gem of Scath to truly preform her purpose," he smiled then. "And in bringing about a new world order, we will be gods, ruling at the side of Trigon! For only the worthy shall survive the judgement passed!"

"Well he destroy the Order?" the fourth magician asked.

"He will destroy all who stand in his way," he assured the sorcerers and watched the Lord of Chaos smile.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Klarion giggled.

"And how do we get the Nevermore out of the book?"

"That is why I have sought your help," he admitted. "Azarath's magic and ways are long gone, however, Klarion has suggested by channeling your powers together in a spell it might break the seal on the book."

The sorcerers looked thoughtful and he smiled. It was almost time, Lord Trigon would rise again and save this world.

* * *

If Raven was at all shocked with Jason's change in costume she didn't reveal it. No, when Jason came swaggering out in a red helmet, leather jacket, grey and black Kevlar, black gloves, cargo pants, complete with shin guards, knee pads, and combat boots, armed to the teeth with guns, magazines of bullets, knives and even two swords, Raven didn't bat an eye. He did because he could only think that this persona of Jason's was far more dangerous than the Red X persona. Honestly, Damian thought the man kind of looked like one of his grandfather's minions.

"Think you have enough weapons?" he asked dryly.

"Probably not, but I can't fit the C4 in these pockets, weighs me down," Jason replied sweetly. Damian couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

"You know the plan, find the book, and get out, we stay together, we don't know what magic is in the house," Raven appeared then, her cloak was black and her eyes were serious. Damian just nodded in acknowledgement. He would cut Jason down the moment he made a move against Raven, but until then Damian was reluctant to acknowledge that he'd be working with Jason.

"So what do we call you?" Damian asked.

"Depends on who's asking," Jason cheekily replied, Damian frowned.

"Robin, this is Red Hood, Jason's other insane half," Raven answered.

"I think you mean awesome half," he countered.

"Neither Red X or Red Hood are awesome, they've landed us in this mess," Raven snapped.

"And you're a woman with a plan to get us out of this mess, and I go on my merry way," Jason replied.

"Does it matter what persona you are called?"

"Call me Hood," Jason shrugged.

"Does Batman know about this…" Damian gestured to Jason then.

"More than likely," Jason conceded.

"Alright, let's go retrieve my book," Raven held up her hand. "I've casted protective enchantments on both of you so most magic will not be able to harm you. However, beware of traps, I am certain that Zatanna would not leave her family home unprotected."

"Very well," Damian acknowledged.

"I didn't think you'd care so much, sunshine," Jason teased.

"I don't, but since you're the only person who can tell me exactly who has my book I need you," Raven dryly remarked as an inky blackness slid from the tips of her fingers. Damian stepped closer to Raven and Jason when the chill raced up his spine and the shadows enveloped him. He was not overly fond of the darkness Raven wielded with ease. There was a gust of energy and Damian looked around as the darkness melt into the night and he found himself standing before an old mansion and it's gates.

Jason let out a low whistle then.

"Nifty trick, love," he mused.

"Don't call me that, and stand back," Raven ordered as she stepped back, she took a stance and Jason drew his weapon. Damian drew his sword and took a steadying breath.

* * *

Jason had been pleased to don his Red Hood again, and have the arsenal which came with it, but he was not pleased to be doing it and facing magic. He'd seen the after math of New Castle and a few other of Constantine's jobs, it was not something he ever wanted to see again. However, he watched the demoness closely as she threw up her hands, and her black energy flowed out with such a power he hadn't felt before it stole his breath away.

The words she spoke were not of any language he knew, then she flew up. The black energy condensed into a single point at her hands before it came slamming down on a barrier in the form of a raven. There was a blinding blast of light before he looked up as a shimmering gold barrier dissolved. Raven landed and then waved her hand, the gates sprung away from her and he and Damian followed. Jason didn't like following the smaller woman, she was usually in the back of whatever team he saw her on but this time she marched head first to the door.

"Let me," Jason smiled maliciously behind his hood as he felt the excitement of the unknown fill him and his mind clear at the coming possibility of danger.

"Do not do something rash," Raven said as she stepped back.

"But that's all the fun, sunshine," he promised as he then kicked the door open and rushed the house. Armor came to life, and Jason leapt up as one swung a broadsword at him. Twisting in the air he laughed a bit as he holstered his guns and pulled his own swords. He caught blade for blade as he rolled and then he was up on his feet as he slashed a blade between helmet and armor.

"Let's not lose our heads here! I'm here to talk to the woman of the house!" he cackled a bit as he evaded another suit of armor.

"You're too reckless!" the demon spawn announced, Jason growled when the kid used him as a springboard to leapt into the air.

"I'm not the one running around without daddy Bat's permission!" Jason countered as he slammed into a suit of armor, stabbing his own blade through a weak spot.

"I need no one's permission!" Damian roared as he viciously attacked another suit, Jason rolled out of the way of a battle axe about to cleave him in two and drew his gun then. coming up he was firing, the arm collapsed and he drew a knife as he spun on his feet and hurtled it at the armor going for the brat's back.

"Sure you don't baby bird!" Jason laughed as he grabbed his sword from the armor and slashed up in a controlled matter, the coming armor collapsed in half and he leapt back, twisting to land on his feet then as he evaded a mace swung for his chest. Going low Jason came up on the inside of the armor's space and slashed of the arm before kicking it in the stomach, dropping it to it's knees and slashing the helmet off.

"I am NOT a child!" Damian lunged for him, Jason ducked as the bat brat crashed into armor, Jason pulled a gun and fired a single shot, center of the head, at the coming armor, collapsing it.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately? Or are you a real vampire bat and have no reflection?" Jason demanded as he dove out of the way of another broadsword swung at his head. He felt the swish of air where he had been as he picked up the discarded mace and heaved it up, knocking the helmet clean off.

"I don't drink blood!" Damian growled.

"Could have fooled me baby bird," Jason decided as he rolled low, pulled a knife and slashed the ankles out of the last armor, dropping it. The armor was lifeless now, and Jason frowned as he looked around suspiciously, that was too easy.

"All clear little bird," Jason called out uncertainly. Raven floated in, her cloak swirling and then she threw out her hands, the armor clattered again and nothing moved.

"It was enchanted to reassemble," Raven said as she landed in front of him and paused at the stairs.

"This would be a lot faster if we split up," Jason pointed out.

"Hood has a point," Damian growled.

"We stay together, come on," Raven said as she slowly started making her way up the stair case. Jason hurried up to be in front of her slightly, and Damian took the rear. Raven moved cautiously, which had Jason drawing his gun as he looked around the eerie decorations. However, something shiny caught his eye and he stopped as he reached for it. A hand grabbed his wrist breaking his compulsion to just grab the very thing calling his name.

"Do not touch anything," Raven hissed. "It's enchanted, it's bewitching you Red," Raven said lowly.

"It's…" he started.

"Come on, the sooner we find the book the sooner we're out of here," she muttered, her hood still firmly up. Jason let her pull him along because she was also doing the same to the demon spawn. There was something spooky here, Jason could swear they were being watched. And it was unsettling.

"Little bird, I think we have eyes on us," Jason murmured when a particular shadow caught his eyes.

"We do," she admitted.

"Agh!" a shout came behind them as the drapes suddenly sprung to life.

"Shitfuck!" Jason blurted out as he had a gun out and shot at the offending, slithering clothe. Damian was struggling against the clothe wrapped around him and Raven lifted a hand.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos," she whispered and Damian was ripped from the curtain and Raven pulled her arms around him. Jason stepped between the kid and Raven and whatever coming threat was coming.

"He's a Zatara, a magician," Raven murmured to him. Damian had his sword drawn again.

"Show yourself or I start shooting." Jason growled.

"Well that's rude since you broke into my home," the new voice growled.

* * *

Zachary stepped out of the shadows and his eyes were on the woman. She looked around his age, and though he could only see wisps of midnight hair from her hood and a set of full lips he thought her to be rather impressive. The woman radiated dark magic though, and she moved like the shadows. However, her company was interesting as Zachary assessed the group; neither boy possessed a drop of magic in them.

The smaller boy was Robin, he had seen enough Gotham news to know a Robin when he saw one.

But the man before the Robin and the woman was a different matter. Zachary couldn't ever remember seeing a red helmet, gun toting, sword wielding vigilant anywhere on television. The man was clearly dangerous though, as was the Robin. But the only real threat to Zachary's person was standing in the shadows, holding Robin back.

"I must say I am impressed, no one gets by Z's armor defense," Zachary admitted.

"It was a parlor trick," the red one replied cheekily. "Now where's the lying, double-crossing bitch?"

"You clearly don't know Z if that's how you feel about her," Zachary muttered. True his cousin was the best, and she was a bitch, and she was arrogant, self-righteous, and perfect, but she wasn't a liar and she wasn't a double-crossing sort of woman. She hadn't even been able to double cross Constantine when that moment came.

"She stole a book of mine, I'm here to take it back," the woman spoke in a perfect monotone as she stepped forward to stand beside the red one. She was tiny, Zachary smirked.

"Now I know you have the wrong woman," Zachary smugly stated. "Z would never break a single rule, she's on the righteous path. Won't break a single rule to keep her soul in the clear."

"I doubt we have the wrong woman, I never forget who hires me," the red one snarled lowly.

"Well, whatever book you seek it isn't here, there are no new artifacts here," Zachary grounded out. "Espalloc!" he shouted as he pointed his wand at the shelves. The girl moved then, her cloak flying out as it surged around the boys then they were gone in the shadows.

"That was rude!" the red one shouted as he came flying from the ceiling. Zachary ducked as the red one hit the ground and rolled to his feet.

"Dnib!" he pointed at the curtains as they sprung to life again. The red one evade as he came at him. Terror filled Zachary as he shouted off spells, summoning objects to try to slow the red one, but the man was relentless. Suddenly there was an eerie chill behind him and he spun around as the woman came out of the shadows, her eyes glowing white beneath her hood as her hand reached out for him.

Oh Good God! She was a demon!

* * *

"Thgil!" the boy shouted and a blinding flash of light filled the hall, Damian moved then as he dove to tackle boy. Raven's shadows wrapped around him and tossed the magician up on the ceiling then. Damian started falling when a shadow wrapped around him and pulled him to safety.

"Z will hear about this!" the boy shouted.

"Well done sunshine, though next time the twerp is the distraction," Jason said as he walked up to them, rolling his shoulder.

"I am not a pawn to be sacrificed," Damian hissed. There were times he really hated Jason, but right now it was irrelevant.

"The Book of Azarath, where is it!?" Raven growled. The air was chilling and Damian frowned as she dragged the trapped boy down.

"Book of Azarath? There is nothing from Azarath here!" the boy shouted.

"Bullshit, she hired me," Jason snapped.

"Look, a book of Azarath is useless unless one can actually Azarathian, the only person known to that is Raven of the Titans, and I'm guessing you're her," the boy sounded nervous and Damian rolled his eyes. Honestly, Raven was far from the scary Titan, everyone should fear the Tameranian, she was scary when pissed. Not that she scared Damian, but he had a healthy dose of respect for Kori and her temper.

"I am," Raven stated flatly.

"Then you know that no one could use the book, no one can read it!"

"I am not worried about someone reading it, I need it back," Raven stated. "Now, where is it?"

"Not here!"

"Hey, little bird, is it normal for there to be flying light coming towards us?" Jason asked and Damian looked out the window. His eyes widened, Raven tackled them as the shadows wrapped around the four of them and they vanished into nothing. Damian felt like he couldn't breath and then they landed in the forest.

"I really fucking hate magic," Jason growled when they hit the grass, Raven was standing and she threw out a black shield when there was a bolt of light coming at them.

"Stay here Robin, keep him here," Raven ordered. "Red, come on."

"Wait!" Damian protested but Jason was running, and Raven flew already. The boy smirked, Damian snarled then.

"So you're the new Robin, you're shorter than on TV."

"I will disembowel you and feed you to scavengers," Damian growled as he held his sword at the boy's face.

"You're no match for me," the boy smugly stated. Damian sneered.

"You are beneath me," Damian stated flatly. The boy's eyes narrowed on him and Damian knew his words had hit their mark as he smugly held his ground and waited.

"You will regret that brat," the boy growled.

Damian clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Senots," the boy snarled, stones came flying and Damian dove out of the projectiles way as he then wove through them. He'd beat this pathetic, entitled, snotty brat; this boy reminded him of the kids at school and he hated those kids!

* * *

"I see you're just proving to the League I was right about you," Zatanna spoke when Raven walked into the clearing, Jason beside her. "And teaming up with murdering criminals in the process. Batman will love this."

"Bats won't believe you," Jason said in a sing song tale. "Dead men tell no tales."

"I would not be here if you hadn't stolen something which does not belong to you. I am only here to take it back," Raven stated lowly, her powers sizzling at the tips of her fingers. Her barely contained Rage was just clawing to get out, to destroy Zatanna as Zatanna had threated to do to her.

"And what makes you think I have stolen anything?"

"Don't lie, it's unbecoming of a lady," Jason snorted.

"I would have no reason to steal anything, especially not from a demon," Zatanna snarled.

"We have a contract which says differently, and you double crossed me," Jason snarled lowly. Raven could feel his rage pulsing off him as the Lazarus Pit's nature started taking over him. However every emotion she felt off of Zatanna was just as genuine as Jason's.

"I would never!" Zatanna shouted.

"Enough, return the book of Azarath and I will return your cousin to you," Raven decided. If Zatanna wanted to play dirty then Raven could play dirty as well. Besides, Raven would sooner trust the wayward bird than Zatanna.

"Return Zachary," Zatanna screamed and Raven felt the other woman's magic surge out of control. There was a shout of a spell and Raven flicked her wrist as she summoned a shield and stood there unruffled. Jason rushed her, bullets flying, and Raven flew up as she threw her arms out, her cloak flying back as Raven channeled all her powers to match Zatanna blow for blow. The woman cried out when Jason got a bullet to hit her, then she turned her attacks on Jason. Raven flew low, her powers grabbing the rocks as she formed a shield around Jason, a barrier between spells and him.

An errant spell came smashing into Raven chest which had her tossed aside as she hit the ground hard. Gasping for air she slowly rolled herself on her hands and knees and saw Zatanna's glowing white eyes as her power cackled around her.

The witch smiled as she formed a giant s sword and swung it down at Raven's head. The shadows wrapped around her then as she surged forward, flying through the spell as her soul-self wrapped around Zatanna and they went plummeting into the ground as hard and as fast as Raven could make them.

"Little bird, you alright?" Jason asked as he jogged to her.

"Ow," she moaned as he grabbed her and lifted her out of the crater.

Zatanna was down on the ground, out cold and Raven swatted Jason's hands away when he sat her on a boulder to check her head.

"Little bird, you're bleeding, let me check it," Jason murmured.

"Demon, I'll be fine," she reminded him.

"Give up!" Damian roared as he and the other magician came crashing out of the trees, Damian clearly won the match and Raven smirked a bit, as Jason laughed.

"Do me a favor, tie and gag her, same with him," Raven asked as she hugged her ribs which were aching from that spell. Jason just did as he was asked tying up both Zataras with Damian's help. Raven just sat there glaring over at the Zataras because if she went near either of them right now she'd probably lose her temper at them. Her rage pulsing dangerously close to the surface after everything and especially at Zatanna but she sensed that the magician had been telling the truth. Something which was infuriating to Raven because had just wanted to collect her book and go home.

"What do we do with them now?" Jason asked as he joined her.

"I sensed they were telling the truth," Raven said. "However, you were also telling the truth."

"Huh?"

"She didn't hire you to steal the book, but you were hired by her to steal the book. Someone impersonated a League member to hire you to get my book," Raven concluded.

"But why?" Damian asked. "If no one can read the book why take it. It seems pointless to obtain something you can't use."

"Agreed, what aren't you telling us, sunshine?" Jason asked softly.

"It's what's in the book that's important, reading it is useless unless you know Azarathian, but I didn't really use the book for the magic, I was using it to store an artifact, several artifacts, I need those back," Raven admitted reluctantly.

"You were using the book to store things?" Jason asked.

"Yes, I live with a bunch of nosey teenagers usually lead around by a Bat kid, and these artifacts are very powerful and dangerous, and idiots like the Bats would learn that curiosity truly kills the cat," she snarled. "Yes I was using the book for storage!"

"Alright then, time to find out what the witch and warlock know about their enemies and who'd have use for a demon's book filled with magical artifacts," Jason decided. "They'd know who'd hate them enough to do that right?"

"I don't know," Raven admitted as she stood and walked with Jason to the tied up people. Raven felt Damian's frustration and curiosity rolling off him in equal waves.

"Bat brat, care to do the honors?" Jason asked as they approached. Damian smiled malicious as he cracked his knuckles.

"I'm not going to kill them," Damian promised and Raven chuckled. He was so eager to please his father and obey the rules, she wondered if Bruce even knew how hard Damian tried. No matter, right now it wasn't important.

"He might not kill you, but I might," Jason snarled as he circled the two. "One word, one twitchy move I don't like and I'll end you. Got it?"

They nodded and Jason ripped the gags off.

"The book of Azarath, who would want it, and who would impersonate you to get it?" Raven asked coldly as she pulled her hood back and stared down on them with her four eyes glowing.

* * *

"Think Dick will help with Damian?" his lover yawned as she lay in the bed.

"I think so," Bruce admitted. Honestly, he didn't know how his youngest would take to being a big brother. It wasn't like Damian was the best with children, and Talia had raised him believing he was the sole heir of his and would remain that way. Bruce feared a poor reaction from the boy. Dick and Tim would be thrilled, Dick loved kids, and Tim also liked kids.

"Stop frowning," Selina ordered.

Bruce smirked and then there was a signal from the League's communicator which had his eyes narrowing as he picked it up and sat up.

"There's been an attack," he said as he stood.

"Go, I'm just going to nap, your kid is exhausting," Selina waved off as she continued to lay in the bed. He just nodded as he was up and walking to the cave.

With everything going on Bruce just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something very bad just looming on the horizon. Especially when he sat at the computer and started working, pulling up the footage of the attack, and his eyes widened. It was Deathstroke.

Bruce immediately started sealing this off and away from Dick's access as he watched the assault.

* * *

The spell exploded harmlessly off the book and ricocheted towards him. He dove out of the way just as the Lord of Chaos screamed in frustration.

"No fair! No fair! No fair! She tricked the book!" he cried out.

"We are not done," the sorcerer snapped.

"I know that, but at this rate we'll never get to the Nevermore, and I want to know what goes on in the Gem's mind," Klarion smiled. There was something in him which wanted to know as well, since his Lord had said it would take the Nevermore to free him and to have the Gem fulfilling her prophecy. It was time for Raven to do her duty to her father and to the world.

He would have the Nevermore.

"A Pentagram," the fourth magician suggested.

"That might work," Klarion agreed. "Let's set it up!"

He just sat back and watched.

* * *

Talia found him, not with ease, but as she sent Deathstroke off on a wild goose chase to distract the Bats, she walked off the plane in Newark. She cringed in disgust and guessed she should have known that Jason would pick a hellhole for a safe house. No one would come looking for him, or so he thought. Looking at the shuttle the hotel had set her she frowned.

Jason could try to hide.

But she was better at this game and she'd kill him yet. Besides, he was a deserter of the League, and a failure. His second death was long overdue.

* * *

Dick frowned as he looked over the computer with Victor.

"I don't get it, it's not like they can just vanish! And I know Damian doesn't have hidden funds, neither does Raven," Dick growled as he dragged a hand through his hair.

"I get that you're worried, man, I am too, but do you really think Raven; daughter of Trigon, savior of all things mortal, would or will let the Assassins have your baby brother?" Victor pointed out.

"I'm worried that she'll be killed Victor," Dick admitted. Raven would protect those she loved with everything she had and then some, however, the Assassins though… they would figure out how to kill her and then there'd be no bringing her back. At all.

"Keep looking," Dick pleaded.

"I will, but you'll have to take over training Raven and I's team while I look. I can't do both."

"Fine, Wally and I will handle it," Dick conceded.

"Thanks, I'll find them," Cyborg assured him.

"I'm just… fuck, I don't know," Dick sighed. "You know, he's a lot like Jason, so headstrong, loner, angry, thinks he can take on the world without help. It scares me because that's what got Jason killed and though I was a shitty brother to him, I can't lose another brother, Cy. I can't."

"Hey, I get it, and we'll find them. For now though, trust that Raven is with him and she'll keep him safe," Vic said.

"I'm trying, but I'm scared," Dick admitted.

* * *

"I see, well, I don't really know of anyone who would want Azarathian relics, no one knows how to use them," Zatanna begrudgingly admitted forty minutes later after they had called a truce.

"Fuck, back to square one," Jason growled.

"And you're certain it was me who hired you?" Zatanna asked.

"At first glance, hell yes, but now, not so sure," Jason admitted.

"Perhaps we could have a look at the memories?" Zachary suggested as he rubbed his wrists.

"How?" Damian spat out, he was still very unhappy, Raven just sighed feeling his hostility towards the magicians. He and Jason though were standing as shields between her and the other magicians for some reason, and she dismissed it as them being Bats.

"Who would have a relic to access memories?" Raven asked then.

"You are not poking around my head sunshine," Jason growled.

"Me or someone who's not going to keep your secret," Raven said darkly.

"Fine," Jason surrendered. "No one else though, I don't want you in my head."

"Deal, now a relic Zatanna?" Raven asked.

"Constantine would probably have something, but no one can get a hold of him."

"Fuck," Jason muttered. "Let me make a call."

"You have Constantine's number?" Zatanna, and Zachary demanded.

"Unwillingly, well, thanks for the information, we'll be going, I'll make that call then," Jason decided. "Sunshine care to give us a lift back to the house?"

"Wait! I want to come!" Zachary shouted.

"What!? No!" his cousin shouted.

"Yes, if you won't let me join the Titans then I'm going with them because this might be important, and I'm seventeen, you're not in charge of me!" Zachary shouted.

"I forbid it!" Zatanna shouted.

"Come on, let's go before they notice we're gone," Damian muttered to her. Raven agreed with Damian as she created the shadows.

"Wait!" she heard as the shadows enveloped her and somethings came smashing into her as they were pulled into the shadows.


	12. Well, That Escalated Quickly

Jason stumbled when Raven slammed into him, he couldn't catch his weight and went slamming onto the floor, his elbow hit the tile and stars erupted before his eyes.

"Holy Fuck!" he gasped out, Raven groaned.

"Get off them!" Damian roared, and suddenly Jason felt like a massive weight was off him as he just lay there trying to catch his breath. Raven looked worse for wear at the moment and a flurry of movement as the sound of something crashing caught his attention.

"You alright Red?" Raven asked breathlessly.

"I'll live, you?" he groaned as he slowly shifted the two of them up.

"Hit my ribs," she moaned, he sat her up and gingerly felt them over.

"Nothing's broke little bird," he assured her.

"I know, just hurts," she muttered.

"You are not welcomed!" Damian shouted, Jason turned his head just as Damian came flying at the new comer with a sword ready to cleave the new guy in half.

" _ **ENOUGH!**_ " Raven shouted and suddenly both boys were flying across the apartment, her black magic wrapped around them. Her magic didn't release either of them and Jason slowly helped her up to her feet, Raven winced, but she was standing, he kept a hand hovering at the small of her back though, just in case. Jason had always respected women, however Alfred had taught him to be a gentleman and some of that was engrained into his being.

"What are you doing here?" Raven asked, and Jason's head snapped towards the new kid, it was that Zachary kid. Well, this was fan-fucking-tastic! They'd kidnapped Zatanna Zatara's cousin, the League and Bats were definitely going to come barreling up their asses like a freight train. Perhaps there was a way to return the kids before this got much more out of hand, however a look at the growling, struggling, and furious Damian Wayne warned him that the kid was going nowhere.

"You're on a mission, for the Book of Azarath, I want to help! I'm a magician too!" Zachary stated.

"Who got his ass kicked by Robin," Jason jabbed his thumb at Damian then. Raven elbowed him in the ribs.

"You are not needed!" Damian shouted, and Raven flicked her wrist, effectively gagging the kid, Jason stepped towards Zachary then and pulled a knife.

"And why would you want to help?" He growled lowly.

"I…" the kid gulped when Jason held the knife up to his face. "I… I want to join the Titans!"

"You could just go to the Tower," Raven pointed out. "And you're not cutting up the magician Red."

"Not even a little?" he whined.

"No."

"Just a shaving cut!"

"No."

"You just want to suck the joy out of everything," he grumbled.

"If Robin can't kill neither can you while I work with you," Raven stated.

"That's not fair!" He protested. "I'm not a hero, not a Titan, and I play the grey field."

"Mmm, but you're playing the good side while we work together, no killing, or torture," Raven stated, he sighed dramatically.

"As you wish, princess," he mocked with a low bow before he twirled the knife in his fingers absently then sheathed it. The magician still looked nervous.

"Don't call me that," Raven repeated.

"What would you prefer, little bird?" he asked.

"I have a name," she stated.

"We're not discussing this again," he warned her.

"I didn't think we were," she shrugged.

"Now, brat, you're going to answer all of sunshine's questions, honestly, or I'm not going to abide by the rules and cut out that tongue of yours'," Jason warned darkly.

"Red…" Raven warned.

"Slicing out his tongue isn't torture! He needs it for his magic, not having it cuts off his magic," he reasoned. "I thought a demon would appreciate that."

"I do, but if you cut out his tongue I can't get answers," Raven stated as she folded her arms.

"Fine, can we sic baby bird on him?"

"I'm sure Robin would love that," Raven agreed.

"Then set the demon spawn down," Jason suggested.

"So long as he does not attack until we have the answers we need," Raven decided. "Understood?"

Damian nodded his head and Raven dropped him to the ground, the kid landed light on his feet and Raven looked back at Zachary.

"Why are you here?" Raven asked again.

"Because… you're one of the greatest sorceresses and I wish to learn!" Zachary cried out.

"Really?" Jason folded his arms unimpressed.

"I… I'm a Zatara, I have magic skill, I just require a teacher," Zachary stated firmly. Jason really didn't like the kid, he really wanted to kill the kid and leave. However, he looked at Raven who was an expression of indifference. It was slightly maddening not having a read on her, but there was a minute twitch of her brow which he took to mean she was irritated.

"You're lying," Raven stated.

"I wish to escape my cousin Zatanna's shadow!" he spat out. "If I help the Gem of Scath recover her stupid book then I will go to the Titans and there I can learn real Magic! You can teach me!"

"Rae, I don't like this," Jason murmured lowly in her ear.

"I do not trust him," Damian growled lowly. And Jason agreed with the kid again, he didn't like Zachary. There was something about the kid which was infuriating and he did not like the way the magician was looking over the little bird.

Raven was indifferent to it all.

"We might require some magical assistance," Raven said flatly.

"I can call Constantine, he's always up for paying back his debt with me," Jason shrugged.

"Please! As if that conman could compete with Zatara magic! I'm the best and you know it!" Zachary boasted.

"Can I gut him now?" Damian whispered to him.

"Not yet," Jason muttered back, and the kid actually looked like he was pouting. Raven shot them a look, which had Jason smiling, and Damian looking innocent.

"Now, why not just go to the Tower?" Raven asked coldly.

* * *

"Because! I wasn't even invited, Zatanna did not want me near the Gem of Scath!" Zachary shouted. Raven wanted to say that was an invalid argument but since it was Zatanna she sincerely doubted that there would be another reason.

"And so you thought to tackle me and my companions as I teleported?" Raven asked as she took a step forward, her power seeping forward as a warning to the boy he was no match. Raven knew she'd get her ass handed to her if she ever faced a sorcerer of Dr. Fate's caliber, but the Zataras; while powerful, were not even on her level of power. The fear she tasted from Zachary was real, the amusement and distrust she felt from Jason and Damian didn't waver as she let her power fill the safe house.

"I wanted to be out of Zatanna Zatara's shadow! She would never let me go, or be a member of the League, you were already there, so I took my chances. I can help you!" Zachary stated hotly.

"And what makes you think we need your help!?" Damian spat out.

"Listen brat, I'm a magician, I know more about magic and the world of magic than some Batbrat playing hero wannabe!" Zachary spat out.

"What did you say!" Damian roared, Jason caught him by the hood.

"I believe Robin kicked your ass, so I'd be careful," Raven stated, which had the older teen looking a bit peeved.

"I let him! In a real fight I'd destroy him," Zachary stated.

"Let me go Red! I'm going to kill him!" Damian shouted.

"And big bird would track me down and kill me for letting you kill someone! And I don't need that!" Jason roared as he struggled with Damian.

"You might be able to best Robin in a magic fight, but then you had one against him and he still won. And I sense you are not as powerful as your cousin," Raven pointed out. Zatanna was power, she was a very powerful magician with many abilities, a formidable opponent to any normal magician. Zatanna's father, the Great Zatara, had been powerful before he'd donned the helmet, now he was a Lord of Order; Dr. Fate. But Raven did not sense such power off of Zachary; true he might have been strong, but his connection with Magic seemed average.

"I'm growing," he grounded out.

"I see," Raven indifferently waved off. He was lying but she'd let him be on that matter.

"I want to help! I want… you!"

"You WHAT!?" Jason and Damian roared.

"You to teach me!" he fumbled.

"You wish to be my apprentice?" Raven asked darkly, she felt a cold fury at the thought. First the Bat kids, then the new Titans, now this magician. When were peopled going to see that she was not a babysitter!? She was a Titan! An equal to Nightwing, Starfire, Changeling, and Cyborg, she was not a mentor or a teacher. Especially in the magical arts. However, another magic user couldn't hurt…

"Yes!" Zachary gasped.

"Very well," she released him and walked over to Jason, she slipped as close to him as she could get. "You may join us."

"Thank you," Zachary stated.

"Wait!? We're too trust him with our identities!?" Damian shouted at her.

"He will be joining the Titans," she pointed out.

"Very well," Damian growled. She agreed with Damian's hostile dislike of the teen, however, Raven felt that having another magic user on this mismatch team might help since now she was going to have to deal with Constantine. However, she was tempted to ditch Zachary with Constantine, let him survive the exorcist.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Zachary muttered.

"This is Damian Wayne," Raven introduced Robin and the young Wayne pulled off his domino mask. "And this is Jason."

"Damian Wayne, what's Jason's last name?" Zachary demanded.

"None of your fucking business," Jason snarled as he took off his helmet and mask. "And you can't be serious about us taking this brat, Rae!? The demon spawn is one thing but the magician's brat will have the entire JL after us!"

"I know," Raven admitted. Jason looked her over before he relaxed, Raven did have a plan to ditch the kid, but she felt that he'd be good help for a minute. And once he was in Constantine's custody she was going to leave him. Zatanna would get him back, but for now she'd take his help. She'd need help with getting into Jason's head.

"Well then," Jason surrendered. "Pancakes or waffles?"

"I prefer crepes."

"Oh fuck no! No! Nope! I am not working with this kid!" Jason shouted, Raven softened a bit as Jason stalked off. "Pancakes are one thing but no to Crepes! No!"

"He is a simpleton," Damian muttered.

"He's just a man who takes food seriously," Raven surrendered. "Change and get ready for bed, keep an eye on Zachary."

"I trust you know what you're doing by bringing the imbecile in," Damian stated as he glared at Zachary.

"I do," she assured Damian. The younger nodded before stalking off and Raven left the teen behind, the attraction she felt rolling off him had her seeking Jason's company in the kitchen.

"What is it little bird?" he asked her as she leant on the counter.

"I'm sleeping with you," she stated.

"Uh… I didn't…" he looked confused.

"I refuse to entertain the idea of sleeping alone or near Zachary, and if I sleep with you he won't come near me," Raven muttered.

"Oh, sure, do I get to go to third base?" he asked.

"Not even first," she warned.

"You're no fun," he teased.

"I am not intended for fun," she stated.

"Well that is a crime, a lovely bird like you should have fun, and be free to fly," he stated softly.

"It is fine, can you please call the exorcist now," she asked with disdain.

"Was going to," he admitted.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Yeah," he dismissed flippantly but she felt his sincerity.

"You're a good man," she informed him and that had Jason stiffening.

"No I'm not," he flatly stated with a hard look in his eyes.

"I'm an empath, Jason, I feel it," she stated as she walked off as he pulled out his phone. Zachary and Damian were arguing already.

* * *

Damian looked up when Raven walked into the room and she nodded at him before she walked into the room and disappeared.

"She's a lot prettier than I was expecting a demon to be," Zatara comment, and Damian felt himself bristling.

"She's a Titan!" he snapped furiously.

"The Gem of Scath is a demon," Zatara sneered, and again Damian felt like cutting the older boy down. Zatara was about Drake's age, and he could take him. Damian was sure that like most magicians Zatara did not have hand to hand skills.

"Yo, Bat Brat!" Jason called, Damian looked up. "Come on, we're going out."

"Why?"

"We need supplies."

"I refuse to leave this lecher with Raven alone," Damian stated as Jason came to tower over him.

"Sunshine is perfectly capable of kicking his ass," Jason informed him. Damian didn't doubt that but he also just didn't want to leave her alone with a stranger he didn't like.

"Go, I'm meditating," Raven said when she reappeared in a tank and sweats. Damian reluctantly nodded.

"I still do not think it wise to leave her here with him," Damian muttered.

"And I don't want to work with the crepe creep but it looks like neither of us get what we want," Jason stated.

Damian sneered, he did not like how Jason could do that. Grayson could too, but it was irritating that Jason could too. Stalking off he changed, and walked with Jason out of the apartment and down the street. Jason was perfectly calm, but Damian sensed that the older man was alert.

"Why did you take me?" Damian asked.

"Because it was take you or the magician and I'd rather be shot than deal with the magician," Jason muttered.

"I do not like how he looks at Raven," Damian admitted. He'd seen the same look in other guy's eyes, and it was alright sometimes but not this time.

"Aw! Afraid someone's going to steal the little bird away from you, baby bird?" Jason cooed.

"No!" he snapped. "You should be though."

"Huh?" Jason looked confused and Damian sighed.

"You and Raven are very comfortable together, you must like her a lot," Damian stated.

"What the fuck!? Where the hell would you get an idea like that!?" Jason sputtered.

"You sleep with her," Damian stated.

"No, kid, trust me, I don't," Jason stated.

"I am not speaking of intercourse, imbecile!" Damian snapped. Jason rolled his eyes. "You also banter with her, and Raven does not banter with people she does not like, and you are always touching her. Those are the things people do around people they like."

"And who the hell taught you that!?" Jason demanded.

"Observation of Grayson with Kori, father with Kyle, and the other couples I have seen," Damian stated.

"Oh God, kid, it's… whatever you think is between Sunshine and I, it isn't there. We're allies for the moment," Jason stated.

"And you treat all your allies in such familiar ways," Damian challenged.

"Only the interesting ones," he smirked.

"So you admit Raven is interesting," Damian pointed out as they walked into the convenience store.

"I have never said she wasn't," Jason pointed out. "And I doubt you'd hang around her if she wasn't interesting."

"Raven is intelligent and does not treat me as a child, she also gives good conversations when she should engage in them," Damian stated.

"Just admit you have a crush on her," Jason mused.

"When you do," Damian challenged.

"Look, demon spawn, I do not like her, I enjoy her company, she's interesting, but I do not like her. The moment we get that book back is the moment Sunshine and I go back to hating one another's guts and trying to kill and or imprison each other, got it?" Jason snapped.

"You are denser than Drake," Damian muttered.

"Fucking Bats! They're All Batshit Crazy!" Jason growled as he walked the aisles now. Damian said nothing as he trailed after Jason.

"What does the liking of waffles, crepes, and pancakes have to do with your willingness to work with someone?" Damian asked.

"Several things," Jason said as he looked at the soup. "I take food seriously, kid, and depending on what people like determines how well I'll work with them."

"Why will you not work with crepes?" Damian asked.

"Because it's a finicky food, I like crepes too, but picky people or fancy people make it hard to work," Jason said.

"That is reasonable, but I do not see where food comes in," Damian admitted.

"Doesn't make sense if you don't like food," Jason stated as they moved through the store. Jason promptly picked up hygiene products, shampoos, conditioners, body soaps, rags, shaving cream, razors for girls and guys, and tampons.

"Why tampons?" Damian asked, he'd seen Brown's box one time he'd gone shopping with her, and he wondered what they were for, and why Jason was picking them up.

"Well, Raven's a woman," Jason pointed out.

"Yes, but I do not see why she needs tampons, or what their purpose is."

"You're an assassin, right?" Jason demanded.

"No, I'm a former assassin, I no longer follow my grandfather's teachings!" Damian snapped in defense.

"Oh fuck, you're telling me no one, in the assassins or the Bats have talked to you about the birds and the bees?" Jason demanded.

"What do birds and bees have to do with tampons!?" Damian sputtered.

"How can you be that innocent!?" Jason demanded. Damian fidgeted a bit now uncomfortable with how Jason was looking him over.

"Mother said there were things I'd learn when I was older," Damian defended.

"And Bats' excuse? Or big bird's?" Jason demanded.

"I… never asked."

"Well, after this we're having this talk," Jason warned. "You know what sex is."

"It is why people share beds," Damian stated.

"How are you still this innocent?"

* * *

Raven levitated in the room, she felt everything around her but she tuned it out as she effectively focused on her inner world to deal with her turbulent emotions. She was under attack, she could feel the magic pressure pushing in on the Nevermore, even if she couldn't see the mirror or her book. Whoever had her book was trying to break it, but so long as she was calm she had hopes for her barriers to hold until she retrieved the book. Should her emotions go haywire though there'd be trouble and she really didn't want to have to deal with the fractured parts of her mind, again.

"Gem," a voice had her eyes snapping open as she whirled around to the taller boy, her eyes narrowing on Zachary.

"My name is Raven, call me anything other than Raven and I will send you to another dimension," Raven warned as she sidestepped Zachary and walked to the counter where the tea was.

"But Jay calls you all sorts of names, is he your boyfriend?" Zachary asked.

"He only calls me names because he's got a love for danger, and no, he is not," Raven admitted as she pulled out the kettle and filled it with water.

"I see," Zachary smiled and Raven's eyes narrowed feeling his attraction to her. She was tempted to glare at him with all four of her eyes and see how attractive he thought that was.

* * *

The safe house hadn't been easy to find, Talia had trained him well after all, however, she was better, and as she again stared down the scope of her rifle into the apartment she felt… calm, and a twinge of sorrow at this killing. She'd been fond of Jason, however, he was a liability now and a deserter of the League of Assassins in the eyes of her father, it was time to eliminate him and whoever was with him.

It was a shame really, she truly was fond of Jason. She might have even considered him to be like a son of hers' if he hadn't stolen from the League of Assassins.

Also, she'd have been more proud of him if he had succeeded in his mission to kill her beloved's wayward strays to make way for the true heir. Her son deserved that much.

True, after Jason was to killed Dick and Tim, she'd have killed him, sealing off all loose ends. However, Jason was never one to follow simple orders, even stealing the Red X suit on an Assassin's mission, she was so furious with the brat when he'd done that. But worse, Jason had failed to do what she set him out to do, and instead had tried to kill her beloved. It was time for Jason to pay the price for not following orders, and she had the pretty Titan in her crosshairs now.

* * *

"Hello," a cocky voice answered. Jason just motioned for Damian to move ahead.

"Where are you?" Jason asked as they walked to his safe house.

"Liverpool, mate," was the reply and Jason rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess, you're getting wasted and hunting up a bird for the night," Jason surmised.

"It's morning here, and no, I'm on a job," Constantine answered.

"You actually took a job?"

"I'm an occult detective, I get all sorts of jobs," Constantine defended.

"Uh-huh," Jason grunted skeptically.

"What do you want, I got you an amulet, I even gave you blue prints to Shadowcrest, we're even," Constantine stated.

"Not even close, and Zatanna apparently did not hire me to steal the Book of Azarath from Raven," Jason snapped as he pulled out the keys to the duplex, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he let Damian walk in and he looked over the skyline.

"You said Z did," Constantine challenged.

"I thought she did, apparently it was an imposter, Rae and I now need something to go rooting through my memories," Jason admitted as they walked into the place.

"You're going to let a demon in your head?" Constantine asked.

"It's her or Zatanna and Zatanna gets me reported to a bat!" he hissed quietly as Damian was almost down the hall to their apartment.

"Fair point, but I could do it."

"I'm fucked up enough without you rooting through my head," Jason stated flatly.

"I take offense to that."

"We'll meet you in London, usual pub tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah, come at ten, I'll be there enjoying my pint," Constantine dismissed.

"Good, don't get killed on this job or I'll kill you," Jason warned as he hung up.

"Little bird, think you could fly us to London tomorrow?" Jason asked as he kicked the door shut.

"London?"

"Constantine is in England, and I kind of have a warrant in Liverpool so London," Jason stated.

"You're wanted by Interpol, and a bunch of other people, yet you worry about the warrant in Liverpool," Raven muttered as she walked over to them.

"Yes, because I punched a cop there, not just any cop either," he muttered.

"Yes I can get us there," Raven admitted and Jason looked up just as a flash caught his eye. Fuck!

"Get down!" Jason grabbed Raven as he swung her into his chest and dove behind the counter, Damian tackled Zachary and there were bullets in his place, right where Raven had been.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! How the hell did they find us?" Jason snarled. "Sunshine can you get the supplies to the car?" he demanded.

"Yes."

"Good, here are the keys, I'm dealing with this sniper," Jason said as he pulled out the keys and ran low through his apartment, there was a shot which hit his hip but he caught his gear just as he dove out the window.

He saw Damian charging after him with black magic grabbed the kid. Jason hit the cement, rolled to his feet and ran, he was pulling on his gear as he ran, and he took a fast way up.

* * *

There was a slam on the door, Raven's head snapped towards the door just as it was blasted open. Throwing up her arms the energy surged out of her as she snarled her magic and energy wrapping around them as there was a rippling on her shield, bullets.

"What the!?" Zachary shouted, Raven threw her left hand out as she opened a portal.

"Robin! Supplies, gear! Car now!" Raven shouted.

"I'm not!"

"I'll handle this, you need to get Zachary out of here," Raven snapped. Damian hesitated, but he grabbed the keys and ran, grabbing stuff as he dove through the portal, Zachary on his heels. Raven twisted her hands and withdrew the energy as she came face to face with the familiar emotions of Damian, only to stare into the hard, green eyes of a beautiful woman. Damian had her eyes, not in color but shape.

"That was foolish," the assassin purred.

"Perhaps," Raven admitted.

"You are not a match for a League of Assassins assassin," she stated coldly leveling the gun. Raven nodded.

"I'm not," she admitted. But there was this beautiful thing about her empathy few knew about, it was what had truly broken Dr. Light, and she stepped back into the shadows.

"I'm more than you can handle," Raven snarled, her Rage, her father, and she speaking as her eyes glowed red, her fangs elongated and her claws sharpened. There was a hint of fear in the assassin as the room started darkening, and every ounce of pain, fear, horror, sadness, and madness she had collected over the years poured out of her, the assassin gasped as she stumbled back.

"Afraid assassin?" Raven asked, her lips twisting into a smirk. The weapon was leveled at her head, and the shadows came surging to life, there was a scream of primal fear, and Raven chose that moment to dive out the broken window, she flew into the car, grabbed the keys from Damian, started the car and slammed her bare foot on the gas.

"Raven!?" Damian squeaked as she turned a hard left.

"I slowed her down, Jason will have to handle it!" Raven stated as she gunned it for the interstate. There were shots fired, Raven didn't slow as she shifted the gears smoothly.

"What about Jason?" Zachary asked.

"Red will catch up, I'm keeping you two safe," Raven stated and turned right. She knew Jason would find them. He was a Bat after all and all the Bats were trackers, hunters, detectives, and Jason was a bit more dangerous than Dick or Tim or Bruce. Raven wasn't slowing down though until she was out of Newark. She was pretty sure she'd just short circuited Damian's mother and she did not need to be explaining that to the kid.

"Slow down Raven!" Zachary shouted.

"Not until I'm on the interstate, seatbelts!" Raven shouted as she hit a speed bump and they flew, she hit the ground and gunned it.

* * *

Jason found the set up and cursed as he slid down into a comfortable position and fired a bullet into the black just as Raven leapt out the window. The flurry of brunette hair as the attacker withdrew told him he was dealing with a woman and he'd seen Raven gun it out of there with the kids and he decided to finish this. He took the rifle; it pulled a little to the left, but it was a nice gun, slung it over his shoulders and ran the rooftops as he ignored his throbbing hip.

The woman was leaping onto a motorcycle when he finally caught sight of her.

He didn't see her face, she had on a helmet and he lifted the rifle to shoot, but she zipped around a corner heading away from Raven and the kids. He sighed.

Fuck!

Whoever was trying to kill him was being persistent about it, he just hoped Raven and the kids hadn't been hurt, that would be bad. Standing he took apart the rifle and quickly pressed on his leaking, bloody wound. Fuck!

This was going to hurt like a bitch!

Limping away he made it to one of his stashes, a hidden closet four buildings over from his safe house and started pulling gear. He grabbed the quick clot to seal the wound, he'd ask Raven to do the stitches. Pulling a pad and tape over it he packed a back of gear, swung it up, looked through his IDs before settling on Gabriel Michaels, then walked to the parking garage he had parked that POS car he'd use as back up.

A Nova, it was so rusted that he was pretty sure it'd fall apart, and no one would steal it. Seriously, he'd parked it in Jamaica town in NYC to be jacked and no one had touched it, not after two weeks of it sitting there with the keys in it and the windows down. He'd bought this car as a project before he realized it was a bit too much of a project and the perfect, unsuspecting POS that no one was taking it. Pulling on a Gotham Knights ballcap to hide his white streak (Michaels didn't have the white streak), he pulled out of the parking garage as he pulled up the computer with the tracker for his charger and he followed Raven.

The throbbing pain had his hip singing and distracting him, but he worked on ignoring it.

He'd been through worse than a bullet to the hip.

But holy fuck did this suck! It was an hour later, he was feeling woozy when he pulled up to the motel Raven had parked at, she appeared in the door of a motel room.

"Jason!" she was running at him, he was never so thankful there was someone there for him as she pulled open his door, he groaned a bit in pain and she slithered over him to look.

"I can heal that, but you have to help me get you out of this death trap," she stated flatly.

"Yeah, sunshine," he groaned.

"I think I might have attacked Damian's mother," she whispered.

Raven's hands were gently helping pull him up, he felt like his hip was on fire and the world a bit too light. "Well, double fuck, as if this couldn't get worse." he muttered as he dropped an arm around her shoulders and slowly finished getting out of his car.

"Lay off the waffles."

"I'll have you know I am one hundred percent muscle, little bird," he stated as he slammed the door shut and leaned heavily on her.

"Jeez, you and Dick! Must be a Bat thing!"

"Not a bat anymore, love," he mused. She just rolled her eyes.


	13. Dooming Sugar Crashes

Dick Grayson would never again under estimate or under value Raven ever again. No seriously, he was never going to do that again; he stumbled out of the training room. He and Wally might have made a few roster changes to the teams without thinking it through completely, and now he was seriously never again going to bitch to Raven about Damian.

Not when she handled Damian and Jaime at the same time, flawlessly, and he had no doubts that she'd even handle this team better than he could. However, today, Wally, had decided to give the kids sugar and Dick was banding all sugar from the Tower because of today. His secret stash of sugar would just have to be better hidden because today had been ridiculous!

How had he rearranged the team, well that was simple:

Damian was of course on Raven's team, same with Jaime for obvious reasons. Bart Allen was also on the team, he seemed to be making friends with Jaime. Tim had been moved to Starfire's team, and in Tim's place was Jonathan Kent. After Jonathan and Kara had gotten into a fight which had just about leveled the living quarters Dick felt the Superkid should be on Raven's team with kids about his own age. And Stephanie had volunteered to stay on Raven's team for when Damian returned, Dick was all for it. Kaldur also stayed on Raven's team. But M'gann had been traded out for Cassandra when Artemis and Cassandra had tried to kill each other in a sparring match.

So now, Raven had every kid under fifteen, aside from Kaldur, but the level headed Atlantian wanted to be on Raven's team. Something about sorcery and learning; Dick had taken a hard wallop to the head so a few details about this afternoon were fuzzy. Now he was sitting in the infirmary with an icepack on his head as Kori quietly stitched up his thigh.

"Are we talking again?" Dick asked her.

"We were never not speaking, Dick," Kori pointed out.

"You've been avoiding me since you found out Barbara was coming, and now that she's here it takes me being in the infirmary to even know you're still here," he pointed out.

"I do not wish to interfere with you and Barbara, she is your first love," Kori pointed out softly.

Dick winced at her statement. Kori wasn't wrong, he had loved Barbara greatly when he'd been a teen, and in a way he still did. However, Joker had killed whatever could be, and Barbara's bitterness about a few things had shut him out of her life.

"Kori, there's nothing there," he sighed as he pulled the pack off his head; it felt like he'd been sat on by an elephant, and that was from one hit from a pissed off Cassandra.

"You love her Dick, I see it," she said as she sat up. "I do not wish to be fighting for your affections," she stated calmly.

"Kori, Babs and I aren't going anywhere, she's not interested. And I've got you, please stop being foolish and avoiding me aside from when I'm hurt," he pleaded.

"I…" Kori started carefully when there was the thundering steps coming towards them which alerted Dick to a coming fight or argument.

"Why did you rearrange Rae and I's team!?" Victor shouted as he came barreling into the infirmary then. Kori chuckled and Dick winced.

"You are finished, I will train my team now," Kori decided as she flew out.

"Raven handles Damian!" Dick stated firmly.

"Dude I know, but she's going to kill you for giving her all the kids under fifteen if I don't first!" Victor warned.

"Jon needs to be out of the Super family's grasp, he and Kara just about leveled the Tower with their fight, Tim and Damian; while they need to learn to tolerate each other might kill one another if left on the same team, M'gann offered to help Kori with the clone and Cassie and Artemis were butting heads so we switched, Stephanie will help with Damian when he comes back, Kaldur insisted on staying on your team, and Impulse and Jaime were already on your team. Also, you and Rae have the most patience and are excellent role models for the younger kids.

"And, Raven's empathy will help with the kids," Dick pointed out.

"You do know she works hard to never influence her surrounding environments Dick, she shares an empathy link with you," Cy grounded out.

"Yeah, but if things get out of hand like with Conner, then she can settle everyone," Dick pointed out.

"What does Green Arrow's kid have to do with this."

"Not that Conner, the clone, Kara and Jon named him Conner and it's stuck," Dick winced as he rubbed his ribs.

"Does Supes even know about the clone?"

"He's coming today, I called him and said it was about a Superkid," Dick stated.

"Uh-huh," Cy grunted skeptically.

"Find Damian and Raven?" He asked as he slowly stood, wincing at the stretching of his stitches but ignored it as he pulled on a zip up sweatshirt and fumbled into a pair of sweats that were always avalible in the infirmary.

"No luck on that front, but there's been some chatter, the League of Assassins has taken a contract out on one of their own," Cyborg said as they left the infirmary.

"Who?"

"Well he's dead so I think it's an alias or really him," Victor handed him the file and Dick frown as he opened it and his eyes widened.

"That's… not possible," he muttered and looked at the photo. It couldn't be, he was dead, had been for nearly seven years! Dick had had to find out months later, and he hadn't even attended the funeral. There was no fucking way that it could be… unless…

"I ran the intel photo against an old photo, I aged it, and there's a eighty-six point nine percent match, take into account this photo is blurry and unclear I'd think it's accurate," Cyborg stated.

"Vic, it's not possible, he died, Joker killed him," Dick stated bitterly. Yet another thing the Joker had destroyed in his family and life.

"Look, the intel says Jason Todd, the photo is a solid match, and if this is right he stole you suit, and he's Red X," Victor stated.

"Look, he's dead, there's no way he's alive, and even if he was, why the hell wouldn't he come home?" Dick spat out the last part. Jason Todd was dead, the Joker had killed him, and death was not reversible, or avoidable, or even able to be beaten. It could be defied, but no one beat death once it stuck.

"The Lazarus Pit, and if this intel is to be believed they're taking out a deserter," Cy stated.

"The Lazarus Pit can't reverse death, and why would Ra's willingly put Jason, Jason Todd, who was the most stubborn bastard ever born; maybe even more stubborn than Bruce, and he was the most disrespectful, mouthy, foul tempered kid ever, Ra's willingly revive him. If it could bring him back I'd pitch him into the Pit in a heartbeat Vic, but the Pit can't reverse death, or bring him back," Dick stated.

"Look, I don't know everything about that Pit, but Raven does, and so does the League of Assassins, something's up, and this is too good of a match to not be considered Jason Todd," Victor stated.

"Lemme look," Dick snatched the file back and looked at the blurred photo of a man running. He was big, a bit slighter than Bruce's bulky build but whoever this was they were all muscle. Reading over the file he saw the man was listed at 6' 1" tall, 207 lbs., all of which did not fit with Jason. Jason had been a stockier fifteen year old, on the shorter side because of malnutrition. However, Jason also hadn't hit that growth spurt he was coming into…

Dick frowned as he looked at the blurred face, sunglasses, ballcap obscured his face so Dick studied the jawline. It was stronger, the mouth was set in a crooked smirk, and the nose was still straight, but it was the cheekbones which had Dick thinking it was possibly Jason.

"I don't know Vic…" Dick said uncertainly.

"Look, if he were alive he wouldn't be the same kid he had been when he was Robin, he'd have grown up," Cy stated.

"Let me talk to Bruce about this before we start pursuing it like it's Jason," Dick said tentatively.

"Fine," Vic grumbled.

"I don't… I don't want to hope about this," Dick sighed. "Bruce won't even talk about Jason, won't mention him, and after everything with that Red Hood guy a few years back Jason is a sensitive topic."

"Ever find out who that was?"

"No, Bruce destroyed all the files, but since then even mentioning Jason is…" Dick trailed off. Tim idolized Jason, Jason was his Robin, and when Tim would try to look into Jason's old files, or even talk about Jason it was painful for Bruce. So much so Bruce had removed Jason's files from the server, and Jason was a taboo. Especially since the Red Hood, why they didn't know, but it was a safe bet that it had something to do with Joker.

If this wasn't really Jason and just some twisted game the League of Assassins was playing there was going to be hell to pay. Bruce did not tolerate Jason's name being used for any reason anymore. Not even the press mentioned Jason; the last reporter to try had been fired and couldn't even write a blog or fanfiction under a pen name when Bruce was finished with him.

"Hey I get it, man, but you should know that Talia al Ghul and Slade Wilson are after him," Victor stated.

"Must be a difficult man to kill if two of the best Assassins are after him," Dick chuckled.

"Well if he's Red X then I have a feeling he's a lot more elusive than we give him credit for," Vic mused.

"If Jason Todd really is alive, and he's really Red X, I'm going to kick his ass, one for worrying me so much, and two because he went to the dark side!" Dick stated hotly. "Then I'm hugging him and never letting him out of my sight until we're all old and wrinkly and dying."

"Like you've never gone to the dark side," Vic rolled his eye.

"I haven't."

"God help us if you ever do, or I'm just siccing Raven and Alfred on you after the Demon Spawn fails," Victor warned.

"Isn't that a bit excessive, and the world should fear if Rae and Alfie ever do team up," Dick stated as they stopped at the elevator.

"They'd take it over," Victor agreed solemnly.

"No one would stand a chance," Dick agreed solemnly. "About the other thing?"

"The Lazarus Pit?"

"Yeah," Dick nodded.

"I was going to talk to Raven about it, but she's not here, however, there's chatter about the Church of Blood about to do a ritual and the League of Assassins giving them the synthesized Lazarus Pit," Victor stated.

"That doesn't make sense, the League of Assassins is all about rebirth and saving the world through killing it and rebuilding it, the Church of Blood follows Trigon, Trigon will just destroy our world," Dick pointed out.

"Which is why we need to find and talk to Rae, this is sort of her area. Also, the Church of Blood has recently been rumored to be working with a few sorcerers," Victor produced another file and Dick started looking through it.

"Now I think we need to talk to the League and Bruce for sure. There's a connection here we're unaware of," Dick stated. "Wait, Red X is rumored to be Jason Todd, right?"

"You just read the file man," Victor dryly stated.

"Not the point, Raven's tracking Red X," Dick blinked.

"Your point?"

"She might be chasing my brother."

"God help him."

"I don't need to kick his ass! Raven will!" Dick grinned, if it was Jason that is.

"God have mercy should she have to deal with another Bat."

"What's wrong with Bats?"

"You're all Batshit Crazy! And Raven's patience is dying," Vic warned.

"I'd pay to see a fight between Rae and Jay."

"I don't want to think about it."

"You know what he stole from her room?"

"The book of Azarath."

* * *

After training she found herself feeling melancholy, and she did not like it. Kori stared out her window at the bay and sighed. She really wished Raven was here to talk to, it would help her so much. She just… She didn't know what to do! Barbara was Dick's first love, and though he said there was nothing there she knew there was. One did not simply forget their first love, she knew because she was hung up on Dick still, the first man who she had ever come to love, truly, and it pained her knowing she wasn't his first.

Babs was.

There were times Kori wanted to hate Barbara for having Dick's heart, but she couldn't. She could no more hat Barbara than Raven could hate Terra, though Raven insisted she and Garfield were nothing but friends. Kori knew, she saw it in Raven's eyes on the occasions her guard was down, the wistfulness and sorrow. Sighing Kori hugged herself and sat down. There was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she called out as she picked up her nail polish and tried to look like she had been about to relax rather than moping; however hiding her emotions went against her very nature and was difficult to do.

"Hey," Dick said.

"Hello," she smiled, feeling a warmth in her at the sight of him.

"So, I have to go to Gotham, and I was wondering, maybe you'd like to come. I could introduce you to Alfred and Bruce," Dick said as he limped and sat on her bed.

"Oh, is the meeting of the family important? Because I already know your family," Kori stated as she selected a purple polish for her toes.

"I want to introduce you as my girlfriend," Dick said. She froze midair as she stared at him with wide eyes. Her heart was beating rapidly and her stomachs were all in a flutter as she stared at his earnest eyes.

"What?" she stammered.

"If Victor hadn't interrupted us, I was going to ask you to be my proper girlfriend," Dick stated.

"But… what about Barbara?" Kori asked and Dick caught her wrist as he dragged her down, she would have struggled but she knew he hurt.

"Kori, Babs and I will be nothing other than friends. The only way there'd be anything between us again is if she let the Joker go, and she's not going to. I think I'm falling for you and I want to see where this is going," he said firmly.

"But…" Kori protested and he kissed her.

"Please, just try, we're good together, we're really good together," he said softly.

"We are," she agreed with a smiled as she slowly slid her arms around his shoulders and floated to sit on his lap.

"So what do you say?" he asked, she heard the nervous undertone in his voice as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"We can try," she agreed.

"Good, now get dressed, we're going to Gotham," Dick smiled as he kissed her hard again. Kori felt a shiver race down her spine and she smiled when he pulled away.

"Why?"

"I need to talk to Bruce about some intel Vic found, and I want your company," he said.

"Very well, may I inquire as to what intel Victor has gathered?" Kori asked as she flew off his lap to her closet and started rooting around for something appropriate for meeting her boyfriend's father.

"It's about Jay," Dick said in a shaky tone.

"I thought Jason was dead," Kori said as she peeked out of her closet to see him trembling.

"Me too, but… eighty-six percent, almost eight-seven, it's… it's too close not to be looked at and the name is Jason Todd in the intel. Bruce will have a meltdown if it's him but if it isn't… Kori I don't know what to do about this," Dick admitted.

"Families are… complicated," Kori stated. "Except Raven's, her family is simple."

Dick laughed, he fell back on her bed laughing and she smiled as she picked up a nice purple sundress, and decided to wear a simple white sweater with her boots. She loved her boots, they were gorgeous and fun and comfortable, she was glad Raven had pointed them out that day at the mall.

"What did I ever do to get a girl like you?" he asked her.

"Saved me, taught me all the strange earth customs, and accepted me," she answered primly as she stripped and saw Dick's jaw tighten as his eyes roamed over her; there was a swell of pride in her at obtaining his attention and affections.

"I'm going to go call Bruce," he said.

"We will take my ship," Kori decided.

"Uh… no, Kori, darling, I love your ship, but if we take that my life as Dick Grayson is over, and I really like my civilian identity, I've already got one of Bruce's planes being fueled, just get ready and we'll leave," he said as he kissed her.

"I do not have a earth, civilian identity," Kori pointed out.

"Talking to Cy about setting one up for you, and a civilian disguise. I like how different you are, but let's just be us dating and not attract all the paparazzi," he said.

"Agreed," she smiled and kissed him as he left.

She was Dick Grayson's girlfriend! She was so happy as she floated there and giggled before continuing to pull on her dress.

* * *

Bruce dug into everything he could find about Deathstroke right now, and he found nothing. After a day of digging he was a bit frustrated, however, it was lunch now, he had an afternoon appointment with Selina Kyle for her OB-GYN. After she had told him he had asked her if he could go with her to the appointments. She was reluctant, but she allowed him, especially when she muttered that he'd just hack her file; which he probably would.

His phone rang as he was eating and looking over the adoption papers he had filed for Damian. Legally he wasn't Damian's father; yet, however, having grounds for abandonment, and the biological proof, he was filing for sole custody. Talia hadn't even shown up to fight for Damian.

"Hello?" he answered without looking; it was his kids' line so it had to be Dick, Cass, Tim, or Damian.

"Hey Bruce, I've got… I don't know, but I'm coming to Gotham with Kori so we can discuss what I've got," Dick stated.

"No metas…"

"Don't even, Bruce, you're going to have dinner with my girlfriend, you're going to smile and you're going to be polite, I had to sweet talk her into forgiving me for something I didn't even do wrong so you're going to act like a father and be nice to my girlfriend," Dick warned.

"I do not approve of you dating an alien princess Dick," Bruce stated firmly.

"But you approve of Damian spending all of his time around a half-demon who's more powerful than we give her credit for and I'm sure if she lost control of her powers, compared to Kori, she'd actually destroy us all; makes perfect sense," Dick grumbled.

Bruce sighed. He wasn't about to win this argument, especially since he stood before the League and vouched for the demon. Still, he worried, especially with how Kori's powers worked, her emotions were unstable and it terrified him that if she lost control she could accidentally kill Dick. His kids were only human after all, and despite what they thought, they could easily be broken. He winced as his thoughts turned to Jason and that rage from having been broken, Bruce wished… wished everything with Jason could have been different. And Damian was so like Jason that he was terrified that Damian would also be broken, and he did not know what to do to save his youngest from himself.

"Raven works on control, and she has been good for Damian," Bruce clarified.

"Good, so you'll tolerate Kori cause she's great for me," Dick stated and Bruce felt like hitting his head against a wall at this argument.

"What did you find Dick?"

"Well that's why I'm coming to Gotham because if I say I'm insane, if I show you we'll be more open about it," Dick admitted.

"I have an appointment with Selina this afternoon," he stated.

"Awe! Make sure the kid isn't wearing a cowl," Dick warned. "Oh, and she should come to dinner, you and Alfred are both going to need… support."

"For what?"

"Well, this is like a talk I'm having with Damian, support is needed," Dick stated.

"How goes the talks with Damian?" Bruce asked.

"Um… don't know, he kind of stormed off, Raven's taken him off for a retreat to learn to manage his anger… and yeah, but we'll talk more about it as soon as he calms down," Dick decided. "But Bruce, this takes priority, it's… it's important. I'm not saying family isn't important, but… you'll see."

"Alright."

"ETA is about six o'clock," Dick said.

"We'll see you then," Bruce decided. He didn't know what that was about but he wasn't about to interrogate Dick over the phone about something he felt like showing instead of explaining.

He glanced at the clock and quickly started tucking his files and papers away as he readied to leave the office for Selina's appointment.

Funny, he had four sons, and a daughter, and he'd never dealt with any of them as babies. This was a first for him and he was a bit nervous and excited about the prospect of having a baby. Dick had been twelve when Bruce had taken him in and sure in who he was. Jason was ten, and a confident kid who had grown up way to fast with too much pain. Tim had come to him after everything was lost, but the thirteen year old he had been had held a brave face. And Damian was ten and shoved on him. Cassandra was seventeen when he'd found her and taken her in. So none of his kids had been babies, they were confident, sure, and eager to learn when he'd taken them under his wing.

Now he and Selina were having a baby.

And fuck was he scared about fucking that up. He was a horrible father, but he was also a bit excited about the prospect of having a baby. He wished he'd been there when Damian had been a baby, seen his son being innocent, but Talia had robbed him of that. Selina was more than willing to have him involved but she hesitated to take everything he offered her. She was a street child and like Jason she was skeptical about everything. Even after all this time with them, she hesitated, and was ready to bolt. Bruce tried not to be insulted about that.

He left the office and drove with Alfred in silence. His mind turned to Jason, the son he couldn't save, and Damian, the son he was losing. God he was so terrified that this child would be like Damian or Jason, but he hoped that perhaps this time he'd learn to be a better father. Not just be Batman, but a father. And perhaps in the process he could learn to be a better father for all of his children, because they definitely deserved better from him.

He just didn't know if he could be better.

* * *

Raven woke up feeling squished and overheated. Last night she'd pulled a bullet out of Jason and used what was left of her energy to heal him. Bone wounds drained her the most and his pelvis had had a bullet hole in it, thoroughly breaking it, and she'd had to heal it; however what had really drained her was Jason's rampant emotions as she healed him, that was more draining than healing his bone. However Jason had survived the sheer amount of pain without passing out while she healed him she didn't know. Even after she had taken the pain from him and collapsed in agony she didn't know how he'd been able to stay conscious through that.

There was a heavy arm slung across her back, Jason, but who was pressed on the other side of her had her jumping, Jason pulling her into him and the other grumbling. Damian was sound asleep next to her, and Zachary was occupying the other bed all alone.

"Don't jump, I'll fall off this bed," Jason muttered.

"I need to get up," Raven wriggled out of his grasp and he took her spot as Damian also scooted to where she'd been.

Jason was huge! His feet were hanging off the motel queen bed, and he was hitting the headboard so his head was tilted at an awkward angle. Damian looked so small compared to Jason, she just blinked then shook it off as she decided to take the shower she had missed out on last night after she had healed Jason. All his pain… Raven's heart broke for him, she could feel so much from him it was like being assaulted by a hurricane all the time, and she couldn't seem to dislike it.

On the contrary, Raven was certain that under different circumstances she and Jason would be friends.

But all the pain, the rage, the distrust, the sorrow, the loneliness, and the betrayal, it broke her heart. He was so good, there was so much more to him, but his core was all his pain, and she empathized with that. Her core was also pain, both her own and others, and Jason feeling so alone pained her. Especially when she had a feeling Bruce was to blame for that loneliness. Dick, Tim and Damian all seemed to have it, but Jason's was so much more than what theirs was.

Stepping out of the shower she toweled off, and opened the door, using her powers she summoned her bag of clothes and pulled on normal civilian clothes before she cast a simple glamor spell on herself and pulled her black hair up. Walking out of the bathroom she glanced at the clock and noted the time.

Jason was up and yawning.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked.

"Really good," Jason admitted.

"Good, hold still, I want to check the wound," Raven said.

"Uh…" Jason started backing away from her but she caught him and lifted his shirt just a bit and pulled the waist of his pants down a bit. Her eyes critically assessed the wound as she used her empathy to sense if there was pain from him where she was touching him.

"It looks good, there's a scar though," she frowned.

"Sunshine, it's fine," he relaxed then.

"I know, but I usually do not leave scars when I heal," she stated.

"Uh…"

"Must have been the bone," she lied. She knew what had drained her aside from her little trick on the assassin, it was his emotions, but she would not tell him that.

"Uh-huh, I'm gonna shower then we should get ready to go with baby bird, and warlock wannabe, London," he reminded her.

"I am aware," she stated.

"Oh, got you tampons," he said.

"What?" she blinked.

"I noticed you didn't have any and I'm not dumb enough to travel with a girl without having tampons or pads on hand," Jason shrugged.

"Thank you?" she blinked and he was gone in the bathroom. She just started packing and looking through the supplies, hygiene stuff, first aid, and a few snacks. Raven nodded as she stuffed the tampons into her bag. That was a wise move on his part. Once she had that she picked up the bags and started walking out of the room to pack up the Charger. She rooted through the Nova, picked out his gear, and his IDs, though she hid those in a compartment in the Charger door. Then she assessed her magic supplies, made mental notes on what she might need before zipping up her bag and shoving it back into the trunk.

Damian was up and Jason was pouring water on Zachary who bolted up with a startled yelp.

"Come on, we're moving out," Jason snapped at Zachary who was glaring at him. Raven started making the beds, checking for stuff, blood, money, bullets, gear, chargers, phones. Once that was done Jason was loading Zachary and Damian up in his car.

"Where are we going now?" Zachary whined.

"London," Jason answered.

"What is in London?" Damian yawned. Raven was looking over a map of London for a place for them to use as a portal.

"Constantine," Jason answered.

"Is it alright if I bring us in here, rather than London?" Raven asked pointing to what looked like a main road into London.

"We need to get here, but yes, remember they drive on the wrong side of the road when teleporting us there," Jason said.

"That is why I want to be out of the city," she muttered as she focused on the spot on the map. Once her mind's eye had settled on it, she folded up the map, stuck it in the glove compartment and folded her legs.

"Drive, something this size is easier to move when it's moving," she stated.

"First could you put the Nova here," he said as he handed her an address.

"Yes, one moment," she said as she got out of the Charger and grabbed the keys for the Nova. Getting in she started the car, looked at the address, recognized it as a street in San Francisco she started then engine and opened a portal there as she pulled forward and found herself perfectly paralled parked where she needed to be.

Getting out of the car she walked back through the portal and slid into the Charger as she dropped the keys into Jason's hand.

"Parked," she stated.

"Good," he nodded and put the car in gear before pulling out and they pulled onto the interstate. Raven closed her eyes as she took a steadying breath before she opened her mind, settled her emotions and the new onslaught of Jason's emotions and she reached a hand out as her powers slipped from her fingers.

"Here's hoping we don't crash," Damian muttered and Raven opened her eyes just as they drove into the portal.


	14. The World's Most Wanted Bat and Bird

The plane landed in Gotham, Kori slipped on the image inducer as he took her hand. All the image inducer did was turn her skin from the fiery orange to a deep, dark, rich chocolate color, and hid her flaming mass of hair as black mass of tight curls, and give her eyes a human look; still green, other than that, she looked like Kori. However, he preferred her glowing green eyes and dark gold skin.

"Master Dick," Alfred greeted him on the tarmac.

"Hey Alfie, Kori, Alfred Pennyworth," Dick said as he properly introduced them. The first meeting between them had been… shocking. Alfred had shown up at the Tower unannounced; Kori had thought he was an intruder, Raven had been so alarmed and Cyborg had gone on the defense. All this because Dick had called and asked Alfred for his soup recipe since he was about to die of soy food over dosing. Alfred of course had been unfazed by their antics and walked in to clean the tower top to bottom, the entire time he scolded them for their poor living conditions. Alfred had really hit it off with Raven, unsurprisingly, and Kori had liked Alfred but he sort of scared her.

"And it is lovely to see you again, Princess Kori," Alfred smiled slightly at her.

"It is kind of you to welcome me into your home for food," Kori smiled nervously.

"You are always welcomed," Alfred assured her. Dick didn't counter the claim because he was going to have a serious talk with Bruce about this, after the Jason talk, and after Damian was safely back; that way there was no backfire.

"Thank Alfie," he smiled as he climbed into the car after her. the file was like a lead weight in his hands as Kori looked around Gotham and he pointed out buildings for her. The implication of this alone! If Jason was alive he was taking on the world alone, and the knowledge of that was what scared Dick. Jason would always face the world, fists up, ready for every hit and he'd take the beating even if it knocked him on his ass, and he come back up swinging with a vengeance. Jason Todd was a fighter, he had taken life head on without fear. Dick admired that about Jason, but he also had hated it about the kid when Dick had been pulling away from Bruce. It was what made Jason so different as Robin, and in many ways, it had made that kid more dangerous than he had been.

Arriving at the Manor he helped Kori out of the car.

"He doesn't like me," Kori hissed as they walked.

"He will, he's just… Bruce, just be yourself, tonight will be fine," he said.

"Heyya squirt!" he looked up when he saw the black hair, green eyed woman open the door with a smile, he smiled back reflexively.

"I'm not a squirt anymore," he pointed out as he wrapped Selina up in a firm hug and spun her around. He'd always loved Selina, she was the best woman for Bruce, she made Bruce human. She also had adored him and all his brothers, and she was pretty kick ass. Unlike Talia, who had twisted Damian up and openly held disgust for him and his brothers.

"So, do I get a little brother, again?" he asked as he set her down and they walked into the Manor, the door shutting behind them as Kori and Alfred followed.

"Ugh, boys, boys, boys, what's wrong with a girl?" Selina huffed.

"Nothing, girls are kick ass too, I just know how to handle brothers," Dick pointed out.

"Well it's going to be a surprise. I've asked my doctor not to put it in my file in case Bruce decides to cheat and hack the hospital records, or steal the paper copies," Selina stated smugly.

"Rats," Dick muttered dramatically. There was a curious sound and Dick remembered Kori had never met Selina. "Ah, Selina, this is my girlfriend, Koriand'r, Princess of Tameran, Kori, Selina Kyle, Catwoman."

"Catwoman! I am a huge fan!" Kori exclaimed then as she flew forward. "My people are descendants of feline-like creatures!"

"Wow," Selina smiled genuinely as she walked with Kori and they chatted.

"Where is he Alfred?" Dick asked.

"He is in the basement," Alfred said.

"Um…" Dick started. "I… it'll be better to talk to the two of you at once rather than have the talk twice."

"Of course, the ladies can also accompany us if they wish."

"No, leave them until dinner, best it's just the three of us," Dick admitted as he walked towards the grandfather clock.

"Very well, Master Dick, I will settle the ladies with a snack before dinner," Alfred said and Dick nodded as he stepped into the small elevator and zipped down to the Cave. Now, he'd always liked the cave, it was always being built on, improved, and changed, it was nice and constant and safe; very safe. Not even the White House held the security of the Cave.

"Hey Bruce," he smiled nervously as he walked over to where Bruce was working.

"You're early," Bruce turned and looked at him then.

"Yeah, jet moved faster than anticipated. Look, Bruce, I… we don't know what this is. But I'd like for you to have an open mind about it, because… you'll see. Victor found the intel, so I trust the source," he said and he handed over the file Victor had given him. "No, I didn't run it by Oracle first, I felt you needed to see this first."

Bruce said nothing, Dick took a seat and waited as Bruce read over the file. It was the marginal widening of his eyes and the paling of his face which told Dick that he was shocked.

"Jason…" Bruce breathed.

"Look, I know… I know he's dead, I get that, but what if he isn't?"

"Jason died," Bruce stated.

"Bruce…"

"No! I was there!" Bruce snapped.

"What?" Dick stiffened. From what he knew of Jason's death Bruce had been an hour late, the warehouse nothing but burning rubble and Jason dead.

"Jason… he came back to life; I don't know how, but he was the Red Hood when he came back," Bruce started softly. "I was… surprised, to say the least. But he died again, and… it was my fault."

"Jason was the Red Hood?" Dick murmured.

Bruce nodded.

"And you didn't think to tell me!?" Dick roared as he surged to his feet.

"Tell you what?" Bruce shouted. "I figured it out an hour before he died again!"

"What happened? Exactly?"

"He had kidnapped Joker, beaten him with a crowbar, and wired up a building to blow. After months of trying to figure out who the Red Hood was, and that lead came in, I made it there and he wasn't wearing his helmet. Just shouted at me to choose, it was him or the Joker, I would not be able to save them both," Bruce said softly.

"And you picked the Joker," Dick whispered in horror.

" _ **No!**_  I picked to save Jason from himself, I was going to sedate him and drag him out of there after I got the Joker out because the Joker was agitating him so much. But… I don't know, he must have known that's what I'd do, I threw a batarang at his hand, I'd already cut him, and he said he'd known I'd never have the courage to do what was really needed to stop the Joker. I was barely out when the building blew," Bruce murmured. Dick stared at his foster father in horror, there were tears in Bruce's eyes. "He died again, best I could figure his body had been so close to the point of detonation he'd have been turned to ash. There was organic material found on the site, but I never found his body."

"You picked the Joker," Dick murmured.

"No," Bruce said. "I nearly killed him after the explosion but I couldn't, not again."

"Fuck Bruce," Dick muttered as he collapsed in his chair.

"Jason Todd is dead," Bruce stated firmly.

"No, you don't get to do this Bruce, no, Jason is not stupid enough to die in an explosion a second time, and now I'm willing to up the odds from almost eighty-seven percent to ninety-five," Dick spat out. he was furious on Jason's behalf for Bruce's choice. "You picked the Joker, well here's a chance to save your son again, and you will pick Jason or I will because we are not failing him again."

"Dick, he's dead."

"Read over the fucking file and then decide. And whoever the hell this guy is, even if he's not Jason, he's got two of the world's deadliest assassins after him; Deathstroke and Talia, and you will not fail him," Dick warned lowly.

"Now, Master Dick, what is the matter you wish to speak to Master Bruce and I about?" Alfred said as he walked into the cave.

"Jason's alive, and Bruce and I are going to find him," Dick said coldly. Alfred had been closest to Jason, Dick knew that. Jason had wanted to learn to cook, Jason had loved hanging out in the kitchens with Alfred, Jason was probably Alfred's favorite of all them. Dick remembered the scolding's he'd received from Alfred about being cleaner, or more organized like Jason, and it had made Dick resent Jason at the time. Later, the first time he'd set foot in Jason's room after he'd been informed of Jason's death, he hadn't believed it and marched right up to Jason's room expecting a 'just kidding' from the kid, but there was no one there. He had cried because he wanted to know his little brother, and now Jason was alive…

Dick would not be losing his baby brother again.

"What?"

"Yeah, and the League of Assassins is after him, and we're going to find him," Dick warned lowly.

"A-Are you certain it's him?" Alfred asked in a tight voice.

"Well after Bruce's story about the Red Hood the odds went from almost eighty-seven percent to ninety-five percent in my book, Jason's too smart to die in a bomb of his own design," Dick warned lowly. "I don't care what he's done, or who he killed Bruce, and if you even think of capturing him to turn him over I will find him and help him hide from you."

"He's killed…" Bruce started and Dick glared at him. He knew all about the Red Hood take over, it was organized crime's worst nightmare, and the worst part of all of it was that he'd actually dropped the crime rate significantly. The people of Crime Alley adored him, and there was even a mural of him there. Red Hood had been a nightmare, a real fucking nightmare, but he'd done some good too.

"Bruce, I don't care what he's done. I want my brother back," Dick stated. "And I have a say in this because he's my brother, and I might have been a shitty brother to him the first time, but he deserves to come home and be with us, we're his family."

"Can I see the photo," Alfred asked softly and Dick pulled it from the file and for a long time he just stared at the blurred image.

"He grew into his shoulders," Alfred murmured.

"If that's him, yeah, yeah he did," Dick chuckled weakly.

"It would be nice to have the young Master home if he is alive," Alfred admitted.

"I agree," Dick nodded. "We start in San Francisco, the intel said Jason's also Red X, in which case he was just in San Fran to steal a book from Rae, the Book of Azarath."

Bruce just sighed as he started looking over the intel file again and working. Dick stood up as he walked out of the Cave, he was so furious with Bruce right now he'd work in the study or he'd end up yelling at Bruce. Dick was pissed at Bruce for having to not only picking the Joker, but for never telling him that Jason was the Red Hood. If Dick had known he'd have come home from the Titans to help bring Jason home.

God, did he ever miss the stranger who had been his brother!

* * *

Timothy was many things, a fool was not one of them. He had figured out Bruce's secret when he was nine, he'd taken up the mantel of Robin, and he'd been fighting crime since after Jason's death. He knew something was up in the Tower. Especially since Raven, the unofficial leader of the Titans, was MIA with Damian, and Victor was running things.

He'd only been here for a few days, but it was long enough to know that even for the Titans this was not normal. Even after Dick and Kori had left the Tower to go have dinner in Gotham, he knew that there was something up. However, the rules Raven had listed rang in his head. So, before he broke all of them with an all-nighter and a lot of caffeine, he would do the polite thing and ask first as to what was going on before digging himself a grave with breaking all the rules.

There was simply no way someone would willingly travel with Damian; the demon spawn would kill them, even if they were Raven. And Tim did not care what Dick said, he sincerely doubted the evil brat was friends with Raven, the little ass didn't like anyone aside from Dick and Alfred (but who in their right mind didn't like Alfred!?). Walking out of his room, he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets as he walked down the stairs and looked around for Barbara, he trusted Barbara to be straight(ish) with him about what the hell was going on. But Barbara was still loyal to Bruce first, but they were coworkers for Batman so he could trust her.

"Hey Barbara," he smiled coming upon her in the kitchen.

"Tim!? What's up?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering where the devil's brat and Dick went," Tim stated.

Barbara gave him a critical eye then sighed.

"I have no idea where Damian went just that he left with Raven, the papers Raven filled out for her leave said they were going on a meditation trip to manage Damian's anger, but their trackers were disabled and Raven used one of her portals. Since then I have not been able to track either of them, Dick said that if Raven was taking Damian to a retreat then that's where they went, same with Victor, I was about to ask Garfield about it.

"As to Dick, he and Kori went to Gotham for dinner, Victor gave him a file I didn't have a chance to read, and he seemed in a hurry to get to Gotham," Barbara answered.

"And Damian hasn't used tech?" Tim asked.

"Nothing I could trace."

"Thanks Barbara," Tim said as he poured himself a cup of fresh coffee.

"That will stunt your growth," she stated.

"That's junk science," he retorted and left the kitchen. Something was up, and he was going to figure it out before the demon brat had a chance to kill him with whatever it was he was plotting. Making his way up to his quarters he kicked the door shut and sat on the bed as he thought his actions over before he opened the computer.

Hacking Cyborg's systems would not be easy, however, Tim wanted to know about the file that had Dick leaving first. Then he'd run a global facial scan for Damian and Raven to find out exactly where they were and what was going on with what they were doing.

Actually, he'd run the facial rec. while he hacked. Two birds, one stone.

"Just what are you hiding?" he muttered as he got to work, his fingers flying over the keys as his eyes scanned over the code.

It was a few hours later, after a hell of a war, he managed just to get two things from a file Cyborg had guarded.

The first thing was a photo; which he'd be checking over soon, but the first was a bit of interesting intel. He recognized the code the Assassins used and sat up as he grabbed a notebook and started working out the cypher. It wasn't easy, and his eyes were burning by the time he was finished but he just blinked at the message.

_-Kill Order on Deserter/Rogue: Jason Todd_

Tim clicked open the photo file, it was blurry, the man was moving, running and immediately Tim started typing furiously as he started cleaning the image up. By the time he was done he was about cross eyed, however his mouth felt unusually dry as he just stared at the photo.

Now, one could tell him he was hallucinating from too much caffeine, and he might not argue about it, but there was no denying the obvious.

Quickly he pulled up a file he'd stolen from Bruce before Bruce had erased everything about Jason Todd from the servers and stared at the photo of a young Robin. The Robin he grew up worshiping, his Robin, and then looked at the other photo. Quickly he started running the calculations and aging Jason Todd's photos, and hypothetical growth rates, the end results had him grabbing his phone and texting the one person he knew he could trust in code.

Holy shit, Jason Todd was alive!

There was a ding on his background search for Raven and Damian, he blinked at the location. London, and his eyes widened at who was in the car driving the Charger.

Jason Todd.

Holy shit! This was huge! Shutting his laptop, he scrambled off his bed as he grabbed it and looked at Stephanie's reply before he ran out of his room. He needed to talk to Dick and Bruce! He needed to first find Stephanie because they were going to have to get to Raven and Damian before the Assassins got to Jason. They were traveling together for reasons he didn't know, and was now eager to find out.

* * *

Stephanie liked being out of Gotham, she was loving the freedom of not having Bruce breathing down her neck disapproving her every action, and she was pleased to be on a new team. She didn't mind working with Damian, or the other kids, the point was she wasn't under Bruce's disappointing glare. And she was even tempted to go back to go back to being Spoiler. She missed the purple suit!

She growled a bit when her phone buzzed, she was getting ready for an early nap, like normal people did, and sighed seeing Tim's number. She blinked twice at seeing the code before she figured it out and left her room to head up to the roof. She knew why they were going up to the roof, despite motion sensors, the roof was the most private place here. It wasn't a make out spot or anything; they'd all only been here for a few days, and everyone was too busy trying to get their bearing as to be making out, but the point was the roof was quiet.

"Yeah Tim, what's up?" she asked as she walked out, stuffing her hands in her purple hoodie's pockets.

"You have to promise not to freak out," he said.

"Tim, what's up?" she sighed.

"Jason's alive, Robin II, he's alive, and he's currently traveling with Raven; your Team Captain, and the demon spawn," Tim said in a rushed tone.

"Jason's dead Tim," she stated calmly.

"See that's what I thought, but look, Steph," he pulled out his computer and was typing so fast she couldn't see his fingers as she knelt beside him.

"This is a picture of Jason as Robin, I snagged it from Bruce, it's one of the last before he died," Tim said. "That this is him aged," he showed her the aged photo. "And this is him, here," he pulled up the surveillance photo then.

"I see the resemblance, but it doesn't prove anything, Tim," she pointed out.

"That's true, but this does, it's from the League of Assassins, it's a hit on Jason Todd," he stated as he pulled up a notebook and showed her the coded and decoded messages. Stephanie gaped at the message, she knew that Tim wouldn't make this thing up, and no doubt he'd worked on this first.

"What's Raven and Damian have to do with this?"

"That I don't know, yet, but don't you see, Jason's alive!" Tim grinned.

"Yeah, and the League of Assassins is after him, he's with Raven and the Assassin Prince," Stephanie pointed out. She knew that Tim wasn't overly fond of Damian, and Damian didn't like Tim all that much either, but she also knew Bruce, Dick and the entire Bat family was working to keep Damian out of the clutches of his mother and grandfather.

"Yeah, that's why we're going to go get them!" Tim declared excitedly.

"Wait what!?" Stephanie blurted out.

"Yeah! I saw a jet in the hanger below! I can fly it, come on!" Tim jumped up and she sighed. They were so grounded, but she wasn't letting Tim go alone.

"Wait up! I'm coming and I'm flying it!" she shouted after Tim.

* * *

Jaime only heard the word 'hanger' before he was sneaking down the stairs towards the hanger. The last few days had been… hectic, Raven had disappeared, Damian too, and everything was going to hell. Now there was Tim and Stephanie talking about stealing a jet in the hanger. He was going with them because if he had to do one more training session with Terra trying to kill him he was running away. Which he didn't want to do because he really liked Raven and Vic, also Gar was cool, even the devil's minion was alright. Jaime would also rather deal with the devil's spawn trying to kill him than Terra; at least with Damian it wasn't personal it was just his first instinct.

And if Stephanie and Tim were stealing the jet he was going with them.

"HeyyaJaime!" a fast vice had him jumping as he whirled around. "Whereya going?"

"Uh…"

"Ohhh! Secretmission! CanIcome!? Please!Please!Please!" Bart pleaded.

"Look I'm ditching here and escaping Terra before she kills me!" Jaime defended.

"Iwanna go!Playing hookyisfun!" Bart bounced.

"Okay…" Jaime drawled out uncertainly.

"Someone say hooky!?" Bart grinned and he jumped when the floating Super kid just assigned to team appeared with a grin. "I'm coming!"

"What!? No!" Jaime protested.

"Sweet! TeamRaven JailBreak!" Bart declared. "I'llget KaldurandCassie! Meet'chain thehanger! BackinaFlash!"

"What!? No! Bart!" he hissed.

"Come on!" Superboy dragged him along.

Raven was going to kill him. If Cyborg didn't. His armor chirped in excitement.

"Not helping!" he hissed at the scarab which gave a mocking sound. Oh they were so dead…

However he heard Terra and Gar talking, worth the coming, painful death if he got out of training with Terra. Upon hearing her he grabbed Superbrat and hauled him along quickly as he narrowly avoided the cameras on the way to the hanger. They were all dead the moment it was noticed the jet was missing and they were definitely dead when Cyborg caught them. But it'd be worth it to escape Terra and her… Terra-ness. He was so over being her punching bag without Raven here to be interference, and one more hit from Terra and it wasn't a guarantee his armor would behave.

"Be quiet!" Jaime hissed to the giggling boy as they clamored into the cargo compartment of Cy's jet. Bart was there was Cassie and Kaldur moments later.

"What the!?" Kaldur looked sleepily confused.

"SSSHHHHH!" he hissed.

"What are we doing?" Kaldur demanded only for Bart to slam a hand over his mouth, Jaime did the same to Superbrat, Cassie was sleeping in her pajamas and Jaime had a feeling they'd just abducted their teammate; though how Bart got around Raven's charms he didn't know.

"Kay, London here we come!" Batgirl announced.

"I wanna fly!" Red Robin said.

"No way, you're jittery."

"You can't fly."

"I read the manual, and how hard can it be?"

Jaime paled _ **, they were so dead**_. The jet lurched and Jaime's stomach dropped.

* * *

Talia was leaning on the counter of her safe house as Slade Wilson sewed up her bullet hole. She'd been caught in the shoulder as she had bolted.

She still couldn't shake the fear, the primal, unrelenting fear that she had walked right up to death. That Titan, whatever she was, it wasn't natural, and it sent a shiver of fear; fear which was dormant in her being coursing down her spine and chilling her bones as her blood froze. The terror of seeing that… that thing! The darkness, and those red gleaming red eyes filled with hatred and rage which had almost drowned her.

Never in her life had she ever encountered something like that.

And it scared her to her to the core. Death would be more welcomed than whatever that was.

"Wilson, you encountered the Titan Raven before, what are her abilities, her file was thin," Talia said.

"Raven is a telekinetic, half demon."

"Demon?"

"Her father is Trigon," He stated.

"I see."

"I do not know what she is fully capable of, her file is, as you said, thin," he said as he knotted the final thread and she nodded before she picked up her shirt and pulled it over her head. "She's been called a witch, holds powers over magic, and is rumored to possess powers which the likes of us have never seen."

"No matter, she will die," Talia dismissed. She would personally kill the Titan for her attack. Talia did not like being made a fool of and Raven had turned her into a sniveling scared woman and Talia loathed to admit it, but she was scared. Killing what she was scared of would save her.

"You let Jason slip away," her partner stated.

"I was under prepared again to face his companion," Talia stated coldly. "It will not happen again."

"Perhaps I should speak to the demon's head about this, perhaps your fondness for your fuck toy is clouding your judgement," Wilson stated. The knife was drawn and left her fingers in less than a heartbeat as it sliced Wilson's cheek to embed itself in the wall.

"Jason is nothing but a tool to be used and now discarded. He had outlived his usefulness and failed the very mission I released him for," she stated icily. Everything she'd done for Jason was to get him to be on her side, everything she had done was to make way for her son. Jason had merely been an instrument of that plan. And how and what she'd done to manipulate him meant absolutely nothing to her. The foolish boy had never fallen under her charms, but he had succumbed to his pain and she'd twisted that to hatred. Not even her father had accomplished that with Jason.

"So you admit you fucked the Batboy," Wilson stated.

"That is none of your business," she warned as she loaded a gun and sat at the computer as she started hunting Jason's identity.

* * *

Bruce rubbed his temple when he walked out of the Cave. He'd had dinner with Dick and Kori, Kori and Selina were getting along well, but Dick was glaring daggers at him and he honestly didn't know what to say.

For nearly three years he had regretted everything about how he'd handled the Red Hood situation. And he had desperately searched everything he could find to find Jason, but there was no finding dead men! And Jason was dead.

God only knew how much he'd wished that wasn't so, but no one could stay off the grid in this world. Too many cameras, satellites, and resources to track a person. Jason had been good at laying low, but Bruce… he just didn't believe his second son could be alive. Between the bomb and the lack of evidence that Jason was even alive… it was painful.

He looked up when he noticed Selina reading on the sofa in the library.

"Selina," he sat on the couch with her.

"So Jason might be alive?" she said softly. He looked down at the floor. "You don't need to explain, Alfred and Dick filled me in with what was going on. How are you though?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "If he didn't die and I wasn't there for him… I'll never forgive myself, Selina."

"Bruce, it wasn't your fault," she sighed.

"But it was," he muttered. "Jason demanded I choose, it was him or the Joker, and the Joker… he was just egging Jason on. I thought… I thought if I could, could just get the Joker away from Jason and Jason away from the Joker that Jason would listen to reason."

"Bruce," she grabbed his hand.

"Yes, I would have had him pay for his crimes, he killed so many people, and he took over crime in Gotham, he deserved to be punished, but I'd… I'd have defended him," he admitted. He'd get the best lawyers on retainer to get Jason off but Jason hadn't known that because he hadn't given Bruce a chance to talk him down.

"The next thing I know there's an explosion, and everything was gone, Jason too," Bruce said softly.

"Bruce, I do not agree with how you handle the Joker, but… I understand," Selina said.

"God I wanted to kill that clown so badly when I couldn't even find Jason's body a second time," Bruce whispered. "But… I can't cross that line. Jason should have known that I couldn't cross that line."

"Bruce, Jason… he was my favorite Robin," she stated, he lifted a brow. "Not that I haven't loved your other kids, but Jason was my favorite. There's something you just don't get about Gotham and he did. He was a mouthy little brat, but Bruce, he got it; life on the streets and street justice and the importance of feeling safe. Killing the Joker, it might not have been something you could do, but it wasn't for you. Jason needed to feel safe. I think that was what his goal was in the end. To feel safe.

"If he is alive, try to bring him home, if he isn't, let him rest in peace," Selina murmured.

"I…" Bruce started.

"He was your son before he was ever Robin, he was Gotham's son before he was ever yours, and he deserves to come home, to know he has a home," Selina murmured. "He deserves to know he has a family.

"Night, your children are exhausting," Selina said before he could talk to her as she kissed him, stood and left him alone in the library.

Bruce just stared at the portrait over the fireplace and wished he knew what to do.


	15. Bloody, Fucking Normalcy for the Outsiders

**Bloody, Fucking Normalcy for the Outsiders…**

They came rolling into Jason's London flat at five. He'd parked at a different garage, and they had taken the tube to get there.

"Why couldn't we just drive there?" Zachary complained as they walked the stairs of the complex.

"Because aside from New York City, London has the most cameras, and in case you didn't notice there's not a lot of American muscle cars driving around here," Jason snapped.

"Then why couldn't Raven carry the bags?" Zachary whined.

"Because you're a gentleman, and gentlemen carry ladies bags," Jason snapped. Raven just frowned at him. she'd offered to carry her own bags, but Jason had grabbed her supplies, his gear, and their bags. Zachary was carrying a bag of gear for Jason, but Jason had snapped it was Raven's, and since almost all the bags were identical and black and Zachary was new, he was none the wiser.

"Really?" Damian asked.

"Little bird, what are you teaching the boys at that Tower?" Jason asked her.

"I don't know," Raven admitted.

"Agent A would be ashamed of demon spawn," Jason informed her.

"Well don't look at me, I've never been treated as a lady, I take care of myself," Raven stated monotonously.

"Now that's a shame," Jason informed her.

"So I'm learning," Raven mused dryly.

"Dick bird should know better, you should report him and the Bat clan to Alfred," Jason grinned viciously at her, and Raven smirked.

"There's a thought," she reflected.

"How does he know so much about us, but no one knows about him!?" Damian snapped.

"Because I broke into the Watch Tower and stole the info, baby bird," Jason said as he stopped in front of an apartment and pulled out a hidden key before opening the door. "Ladies first," he gestured.

Raven walked in sensing nothing amiss.

"You couldn't have!" Zachary and Damian protested.

"Red X here," Jason huffed, Raven smirked at the slight insult she felt rolling off him.

"Means nothing," Damian snapped.

"Means a lot actually," Raven cut off the argument brewing.

"Remember the talk we had about respecting adversaries, Damian?" Jason growled lowly.

"I do not respect a theif."

"What about a killer?"

"You've killed people!?" Zachary balked.

"Red Hood, and I threatened your life, how could you forget that so quickly!?" Jason snapped.

"I didn't think you'd actually kill me!" Zachary sputtered.

"Enough, Jason, where are we meeting Constantine?" Raven asked.

"A pub," he answered. "We'll leave here around nine thirty-ish," he shrugged.

"Thank you, Zachary, you wanted to learn Magic, come on, we need to make a few things before we meet Constantine," Raven motioned as she picked up her bag and set it on the counter.

"Then who's bag did I carry?" Zachary balked.

"Not important," she monotonously cut him off again. She really hated teens, but she'd endure. Damian perched himself on the counter.

"Mind if I cook?" Jason asked.

"No, we will keep the magic out of the kitchen," she assured him as she moved to the living area.

* * *

"You got eyes on little bird, baby bird?" Jason asked as he started looking through the supplies he and Damian had bought. He knew what he was going to cook, cooking would get the itch he was feeling under control before he lost it and blacked out. There was no way he was losing it when he was around Raven or the kids, in fact, he was going to ask Raven to put him down should he lose it.

"Yes," Damian said. "Did you really steal all of our files?"

"Yes," Jason admitted. He didn't need to steal the Bat files, he'd kept an eye on all that long enough to be well aware of what the Bats were doing. He knew all about the new Bats, the grown Bats, the people behind the Bats; however, he had stolen League files for a client. Not that said client had received the full file. No, once Jason had realized what he had in his hot hands he had systematically gone about removing parts of the file so Luthor couldn't have it. Sorry, trying to take out a Super was one thing but the Bats were his to destroy.

It was part of the reason why he'd stolen the Red X suit from Dick; the other part of the reason was to send a message to Slade:

Bats Were Off Limits.

He'd kill Batman, if anyone had ever earned the goddamn right to kill Batman it was him, but the kids were off limits. Even Talia's brat, who was currently sitting in his kitchen.

"Why?"

"I'm a contractor, I'm hired to acquire goods that are otherwise acquirable," he stated. "Get off the damn counter, seriously, did the Bats teach you nothing?"

Damian glared at him but did as he was told as he sat on a barstool.

"Why does Raven need tampons, we never talked," Damian asked.

"And you want to ask when I'm cooking food?" he asked. "Sure, why not? Bats are weird enough."

"I do not see what food has to do with tampons."

"I'm guessing you know how sex works," Jason started as he picked out what he would use for spaghetti; it was simple and filling. He'd have meat sauce for him and everyone who wasn't the demon spawn.

"Yes, the man sticks…"

"Yaditditdit! I know how sex works, I don't need to hear it from a kid," Jason warned firmly. "Now, since you clearly know how it works, do you know the product of sex?"

Damian actually shook his head and Jason blinked twice.

"That's a no?"

"No!" Damian hissed.

"Okay… League and Bats are clearly lacking in teaching you. Babies, STDs and other shit too, but you'll have that talk with Bats a thousand times over once you hit puberty I bet," Jason said as he filled a pot with water and rinsed it out. He'd had the talk with Bruce religiously since he was thirteen, not that a kid from Crime Ally really needed it. Jason knew more about sex than Bruce did, and he was willing to bet he'd make Bruce blush if he had to actually tell Bruce all he knew about sex.

"What do babies have to do with tampons?"

"Well, women have menstrual cycles; a cycle tracking their fertility and the best time to get pregnant, sexually active or not a woman's body starts doing this when she's mature enough. I bet big bird will educate you on all that when you're older too, but these cycles make a woman bleed, tampons are for that," Jason said candidly as he got the water heating and started on making the sauces. It pulled out a cigarette because the itch to kill was getting so bad he was about to leap out of his skin. A smoke would settle this.

"She is bleeding?"

"Fuck if I know, but the point is it's a cycle, and little bird did not pack hers, and rather than dealing with a cranky demoness who doesn't have tampons should her time come, best to be stocked beforehand. And word to the wise, if you should ever have a sister or a girlfriend in the future and she does not have the tampons or pads, buck up, go to the store and get them and chocolate," Jason warned. His neighbor when he'd been growing up was the sweetest woman ever, but she was a raging bitch on her periods and Jason could not tell one how many times, from the age of five till his mom died, he went to the store for tampons and chocolate. He'd also done the exact same thing for his mother until she died. "It sucks if they do not have their supplies."

"Is the bleeding normal?"

"Yes, and it lasts a few days, and it's hell because they hurt; do not ever piss off a woman on her period," Jason warned.

"How do they not bleed to death!? Bleeding a few days is never good," Damian said as he looked over at Raven and the warlock-wannabe.

"Biology," Jason answered as he started making the sauces, tomato for the brat, meat for everyone else. He was kind of bummed to be dealing with Ragu, he'd loved to make the sauce from scratch but he wasn't buying the supplies with as twitchy as he felt. Seriously, he should just hide out in a safe house and wait it out, being around people right now was dangerous for him.

"That is disgusting and does not sound pleasant," Damian said as he scrunched up his nose.

"It's natural not disgusting, and it sucks to be them when it hits, so you do not get to complain about it at all," Jason warned.

"I understand."

There was a boom in the other room which had him and Damian looking out the arch at a smoking Zachary, and Raven standing there perfectly alright. If she was alright then he had no problem with whatever they were doing, Jason shrugged and went back to work then

"So how does this lead to them having babies?"

"That is a talk I truly leave for Bats because I'm not having it, but it does tie into sex so lead with that," Jason said as he poured the spaghetti into the pot and continued cooking.

"I see, how do we know if she's bleeding? And should we take her to the doctor?"

"Uh… you'll know, you be around enough women and trust me you'll know. And no, the only time they got to the doctors is if they skip the bleeding. And in the famous words of my former, still asshole, guardian: 'Should your girlfriend go to this doctor and come home to tell you she's pregnant and it's yours, do not run'. Seriously, the only wise words that asshole ever told me, not that it worked for him," Jason said dryly as he looked Damian over. Bruce was so dead for all the 'protection' and 'own up to it' talks he'd given, he had no right when he'd had a love child with the most manipulative bitch ever created.

"Very well," Damian said.

"Good, now no talk about periods ever again," Jason warned. "Especially when dealing with food!"

"I could ask Raven about them."

"She'll blast you to another dimension," Jason informed the boy in a sing-song tone. He'd been around women all his life, asking about periods beyond 'Do you need anything?' was a fast way to have hell from a woman.

"No she won't," Damian muttered.

"Yes, she would," Jason promised and checked the spaghetti.

"So you bought Raven tampons to be prepared for the period," he said thoughtfully. "If she needs them that is wise. She should not bleed out in battle because of a period."

"Oh for fuck's sake! She won't die from a period!" he snapped.

"But the bleeding lasts several days," Damian pointed out.

"Yes, and she won't die, it's just messy, painful, and it sucks. Now zip it before I cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs," Jason snapped. He was not discussing this further, he was over the talk and explaining.

"I hate you," Damian snapped.

"Feeling is mutual, and I suggest all further questions be relayed to your eldest resident Bird Brain, or Oracle," Jason snapped. Damian and Barbara having this talk was enough to have him sniggering as he pulled out the parmesan he'd bought earlier.

"Yo, sunshine! Dinner!" he called out as he found his plates, removing the top one and rinsing the four remaining ones off.

"Smells good," Raven remarked.

"You seriously need to talk to the Bats, their education of common things are lacking for baby bird," he hissed when she walked to the stove.

"Will do. Lacking in what though?" she asked.

"Sex," he stated.

"He's ten!" she shouted.

"Please, I was four when I knew about the birds and the bees," he smirked as she turned red, Damian and Zachary both jumped though when something shattered.

"I'll talk to Dick," she muttered. "Dinner, please."

"Good, and meat for us, tomato for him," Jason informed her as he jabbed his thumb at Damian.

* * *

It was close to seven when Zachary crashed on the couch, he'd used up a lot of his magic with helping her, but she had charms, and protections now and she hadn't used a fraction of her energy. Jason had slipped out to the roof, and Damian was drawing at the counter.

"I'm going to check on Jason," Raven said as she grabbed a discarded hoodie and pulled it on, it was Jason's but she didn't care as she walked to the door.

"Is he alright? He seemed… agitated," Damian said uncertainly.

"That's why I'm checking on him, stay here, rest, and do not kill Zachary, I need him in one piece," Raven said.

"You do not really like Zachary," Damian asked in revulsion (she'd heard this very revulsion from him once before when Garfield had said he was happier with Terra than with her, an innocent comment Damian had heard out of context and been revolted by) and Raven walked over to him, he looked utterly betrayed and she didn't understand his betrayal as it hit her in waves.

"Alright, Damian, first, Zachary is too young for me, I am not interested in a teenager, ever, and second, why the betrayal?" Raven asked. "I can feel it so don't try to hide it."

"I…" he fidgeted.

"Damian," she coaxed.

"Jason likes you, he said you were interesting," Damian said.

"I don't see what that has to do with your betrayal," Raven said calmly.

"It feels normal…" he muttered. Raven blinked then. "Father just hides his dalliances, and Dick hides his, and Reyes said how his mother and father are happy together and it's normal. They do mundane things together, and it… this felt like the normal he spoke of."

"Mmm," Raven hummed. And she looked Damian right in the eyes then. "It feels normal to me to, like Jason's an old friend. And I understand your home life is not… normal, like Jaime's was before his armor, but Damian, all families are complicated and not normal, and whatever this," she gestured to Jason's apartment then. "Is, it will come to an end when we go back to the Tower."

"I just… I like it," Damian muttered.

"I understand," she assured the boy. "But Jason is an ally at the moment. But when we return to the Tower, I'll talk to Dick about giving you normal, or as normal as normal gets in our lives."

"I like this," Damian admitted.

"I know, enjoy it while we can is all we can do, now, I'm going to go take care of Jason and then Jason and I will be meeting with Constantine," she said and hesitated a moment before she ruffled Damian's spikey hair before she left the boy and sought out the man.

Jason was on the roof, smoking, and she felt that bloodlust and the pulsing rage from him as she walked up to him. he was sitting on the ledge and she joined him.

"Not afraid of falling, little bird?" he asked as a cruel grin split his lips.

"I can fly," she reminded him and he looked at her, there was a faint green glow in his eyes.

"What do you want?" he snarled as he viciously snubbed out a cigarette before he lit another.

"It's the Lazarus Pit," she said.

"What gave it away? The eyes?"

"No, I'm an empath," she reminded him. they sat in silence for a long time just staring out at London as it's lights shone and the sky turned black as night.

"I can take it," she murmured finally.

"Take what?" he spat out as he let the cigarette dangle in his fingers.

"The rage, the emotions, the pain, the Pit, I can take it from you," she said calmly.

He gave her a harsh skeptical look.

"It's not permanent," she warned. "But… I can calm the rage," she assured him.

"Empath, meaning you'll take it into you instead?" Jason asked coldly.

"Yes," she said softly.

"And what makes you think you can take it, little bird?" he growled.

"Because," she let her four red eyes glow. "I have the Pit too. The Lazarus Pit is a remnant of my father's realm," she growled, her voices filling the empty air as the shadows quiver. Jason stared at her for a long moment.

"Can you make it stop?" he whispered desperately. "I… the black outs… I'm going to hurt you," he muttered.

"I can take it, but it won't go away, perhaps tone it down so you don't black out," she said as she closed her second eyes and let her appearance be it's normal hybrid.

"Please… I don't, I don't want to hurt you, sunshine," he whispered.

"Shhhh," she soothed and she pressed her finger tips to his temples as she pulled his brow to hers.

"Trust me, Jason, I'm not going to let you fall and I'm not going to break you," she promised.

Slowly she felt his guard crumble and then she made her move as she took a steadying breath and focused on taking it all. His rage slammed into her blood like floodgates opened, she gasped at the force of his emotions on her psyche but she didn't pull away. The insatiable desire burned her nerves, his loneliness and pain froze her mind, and she kept drawing it into her, she kept pushing her calm and her center to him as she slowly syphoned his emotions to her and she gave her own to him.

Finally she released him as she took a shuddering breath as she wrestled his emotions back into the deep recesses of her psyche, his head rested on her shoulder then.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"Of course," she replied as she gingerly stroked his hair. So much pain in him, she'd take it all from him, give him a new start if she could, but that wasn't her place.

"You didn't have to," he muttered tiredly.

"No, I didn't, but I can take the pain Jason, and if I can help you I will," she promised. Suddenly arms wrapped around her and he pulled her to him.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, little bird," he whispered desperately.

"I never make promises I can't keep," she assured him as he just held onto her.

* * *

Damian stared at them for a long moment before he silently slipped down to the apartment again. He liked this, he liked traveling with Jason and Raven. It felt… good. Raven had never treated him like a child, but she also gave her trust to him, put faith in him. Jason, though Damian still did not fully trusting the thief, Jason did not treat him like an odd man or like he was a rabid animal about to lash out.

Grayson tried, but sometimes the way Grayson scolded him reminded him that he was an assassin. His father did not trust him, and Damian knew that, his father always underused him or did not have the faith he'd restrain himself an not kill people. Drake just did not trust him, but he did not trust Drake either. And since the Court of Owls, even Pennyworth was wary of him and his requests.

Raven and Jason had just… they treated him like everything was normal! And Damian had enjoyed not having to justify himself, or insist that he could restrain himself. It appeared Raven trusted him enough to know this, and Jason didn't hold back anyway, but seem to reign in some of his antics for Raven. He liked being normal, he liked being himself, he liked this.

He didn't want to go back home, he was very content to stay here for a long while.

Sitting back down at the counter he wondered if this was really the normal Reyes talked about. Truthfully, Damian envied his teammated. Reyes' mother visited him, Reyes' mother was proud of him, Reyes' family loved him openly.

True, Grayson said he was loved, and true Grayson tried to show him he was, but Damian just never felt it. His mother had dumped him on his father, and his father… Damian wondered if he could ever make his father proud of him. Or if he could ever just be accepted, like how Reyes' was accepted into his family.

Raven and Jason had just shown him again why he felt normal with them, they accepted the worst. He knew he wasn't supposed to have seen what Raven had done for Jason, but seeing it just confirmed to Damian that this was normal. He only wished he'd find it with his father and his father's family. Not feeling like the outsider looking in was nice, and with Jason and Raven he hadn't felt like the outsider.

He felt that normal Reyes talked about that he wanted and envied.

* * *

Jason looked at Raven, her eyes were closed, her face was blank, but there were twitches around her mouth and eyes which told him she was focusing. There was a bit of guilt in him for having used Raven this way, but she had offered and he was so tired fighting it back so he didn't hurt them by accident or have an episode that he couldn't fight her offer. He took the coward's route and let her take the emotions, he hadn't even fought her on it, just surrendered.

He shouldn't have let her, but he couldn't handle the pain anymore. It was drowning him and one wrong move, one wrong thought, one minute of weakness and he'd snapped and it was very possible that when he came to again he'd come to with a dead demon spawn, dead warlock-wannabe, and a very dead little bird. A thought which had him shuddering because it wasn't like they were the assholes who tried to kill him or who he had killed because some people needed killing to make the world better.

A shuddering breath left him as he just breathed in Raven's scent and clung to her for a bit, a chance to feel like a human being for the first time in so long.

"You alright little bird?" he asked hoarsely.

"Nothing I can't handle," she assured him in a graveled voice. "Jason?"

"Hm…"

"Are you letting go or do you need to hold on longer?" she asked.

"Longer," he replied, he wasn't ready to let go of her just yet. Partially because he was afraid his emotions might influence her, but also because he felt normal like this. Like he was a human being.

"Alright, just, I need to move," she said.

He loosened his grip and she shifted around until her back was to his chest and she was sitting on his lap; he was vastly relieved she hadn't kneed him in the groin or the stomach.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied and he wrapped his arms tight around her again as he rested his chin on her head again.

"You smell like smoke," she muttered, he could see her wrinkling her nose and smirked a bit.

"It's not a disgusting habit," he reminded her. "And I smoked the whole pack so I didn't go on a killing rampage."

"Very wise, but you really should find a new vice," she said.

"Liquor isn't the same, I don't do drugs, and sex is expensive," he reminded her.

"There's porn," she pointed out.

"And what would the innocent demon know about porn?" he asked.

"Nothing actually, just pointing out it's a vice," she replied monotonously and he chuckled.

"It is," he agreed. They were silent for a long time before he spoke again. "This shouldn't… This shouldn't feel so normal."

"Mmm… I'm not using my powers," she said suddenly. "But Damian said the same thing."

"It shouldn't feel normal."

* * *

"It's alright," she assured Jason.

"No, sunshine, it's not, I feel like I've been with you and demon spawn for years rather than a few days, this should not feel normal," Jason stated flatly.

"It's alright Jason," she promised. "Normal… it's rare, it's precious, and it's forgotten on people like you and Damian. Which is sad because you are the people in need of it the most."

"And you don't?"

"It's for the best I don't, my powers… I don't deserve normal," she admitted softly. "But that's alright."

"Thank you again," he murmured.

"Of course."

"We should go, Constantine will be at the pub," he muttered when his phone beeped.

"You need to let go," Raven said, he hadn't moved his arms at all, and they were like iron bands around her. She could escape them but she also knew that she should wait until he was ready. Slowly his arms loosened and she moved out of his grasp and out of his reach and range, his emotions were messing with her psyche and she was going to be cautious about everything for a moment.

"That's my sweatshirt," he muttered.

"Yes," she replied.

"Come on, let's get ready and go," Jason muttered as he stood. Raven just walked after him. He got the door. "After you," he gestured.

"Thank you," she said flatly, struggling to get her center again and her near emotionless stated again. His emotions were not making that easy, Jason's emotions were a storm raging in her now, and she was trying to sooth it.

"You're sure you're alright?" he asked her.

"I will be fine, and let me change and we'll go," she promised. She wanted to not be wearing her clothes which smelled like an explosion and sweat.

"Kay, just don't take all night," he smiled.

"What kind of girl do you think I am?" she demanded sharper than she intended.

"A beautiful one, little bird, and the beautiful ones take the longest," he informed her.

"Uh-huh, nice save, I'll be five," she said as she picked up her bag and walked to the bathroom and changed swiftly. She pulled on her own jacket and joined Jason who had Damian and Zachary up already, Zachary holding the bag of necessities they'd prepared a few hours earlier.

"How do we know we can trust this Constantine?" Damian demanded as they left the building, Jason had a hand resting on the small of her back as they walked and she'd have shaken it except he would follow.

"He's a demonologist, exorcist, and dabbler of the dark arts," Jason shrugged.

"Which is why he's my body guard," Raven pointed at him.

"What!?" Jason balked in mock protest.

"Aside from being a con artist he's an exorcist, I'm a demon, I'll be surprised if we aren't blasted by lightning for being under the same roof together," Raven stated flatly.

"I forget you're a demon," Jason muttered as his hand pressing hard on her back, but not painful or forceful.

"And the four glowing red eyes aren't a big enough hint," she muttered and rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Don't you feel guilt about stealing that?" his companion muttered sourly.

"Relax, Zed, we're merely borrowing it, I'll give it back to Ritchie the moment we're through with it," he assured her.

"You know what I mean Constantine," she snapped.

"The Gem of Scath isn't a normal demon, love, even if I did have the strength and power to exorcise her from this plane, she'd come back. She was born to be the Queen of Hell. Also, you've had no visions, and don't deny that you've been looking for a hint about this meeting," he pointed out as he swirled the scotch in the glass.

"But… Demons are evil," Zed hissed. "And you exorcise them. And I know we promised to never talk to Bruce about Jason but are you sure you want to trust a demon going through his head."

"Zed, darling, it's his choice, just like it was his choice not to let me help him with the Lazarus Pit, the poor lad's lost so many choices in his life because of people trying to control him he deserves to have his wishes respected. Or don't you remember what it felt like to be controlled?" Constantine asked the artist. The curly haired woman scowled.

"I like Jason, and if she should harm him in anyway," Zed warned.

"I know, we're both very fond of the lad, love, but he gets the power of choice," Constantine stated firmly. After Jason had come barreling in and accidentally saved his ass, he'd been injured. Constantine and Zed had dragged him to the House of Magic and worked on healing and helping him. The lad was a snarling, raging vat of the Lazarus Pit and he refused help beyond healing without pain meds. Constantine was fond of Jason, very fond of the lad really, he was a street rat and a fighter, and Constantine found the lad's brash fearlessness amusing. Also, Jason was good company, and he had come to think of the lad as a nephew of sorts. Zed had really taken to Jason and if she had it her way Jason would have never left them.

"And speak of the devil, there he is," Constantine smiled as he saw Jason walk in, his scar from the Lazarus Pit stubbornly hung in his eyes as pure white bangs, beside Jason was a small boy, behind the boy was a scowling lad, but more interestingly, tucked into Jason's side was the petite girl.

The Gem of Scath, even here Constantine could feel her surpressed power radiating and he was impressed. She was in control of her demon, an impressive feat for a demon of her power.

"Perhaps we should call Jason, Etrigan," Zed muttered.

"He's a demon bound to Jason, who doesn't like me, love, and besides, if Etrigan met Raven he'd bow to her, he wouldn't help us," Constantine predicted.

"Lazy, conartist bastard, knew you didn't have a job!" Jason smirked as he walked up, Raven put Jason between him and her and Constantine thought that was amusing.

"I get jobs!" he protested.

"He actually did have a job," Zed smiled at Jason.

"For real? You're not fucking me with this?"

"Nope, even got paid! It's great to see you Jason," Zed smiled as she stood and hugged the tall lad, Constantine sipped his scotch and stared at the Gem of Scath who was watching him closely. She was interesting.

And powerful.

If she hurt Jason, Constantine didn't care, he'd find a way to destroy her. But so far he felt no malice from her.

"Good to see you too Zed," Jason said as they pulled apart.

"What about me?" Constantine asked.

"Eh," Jason shrugged and Constantine laughed.

"Zed, Constantine, this is Damian Wayne," his tone held a warning Constantine knew he'd be filling them on later. "Zachary Zatara," he gestured to the taller boy and Constantine saw the Zatara blood in him then; it was the cheek bones and mouth. "And this is Raven."

"Hello Gem of Scath," Constantine smiled at her as he assessed her.

"My name is Raven," she stated flatly, her voice perfectly calm and monotoned.

The Azarathians had clearly taught her well.


	16. So, an Exorcist, a Sinner, & a Demon Walk Into a Church

"You are the spitting image of Z," Constantine stated, and Damian snickered as Zachary glared at Constantine.

"Zatanna said you're nothing but a con artist, with no morals, and lack the talent to pursue actual magic and just jack other, convenient cultures' magic to suit your purposes without fulling understanding what he magic is. You're more dishonorable than the thief here," Zatara spat out.

"Huh, you and this Zatanna chick must have gotten close," the woman named Zed stated.

"Let it go, love, Zatanna didn't and doesn't have the stomach for the work we do," Constantine stated harshly. Damian was intrigued now, he'd never really dealt with magicians or sorcerers besides Raven; and Zatara didn't count because he wasn't a very good magician. However, there was something about the rumbled, dirty blond sitting at the bar he liked. Constantine was; as Grayson would say 'the anti-Christ' to father.

"And what exactly do you do?" Damian asked.

"I'm an exorcist," Constantine said. "And you can stop looking at me like I'm about to attack you, darling, I'd stand about as much chance against you in your full power as an ant to a boot."

"I do not like exorcists, and I will be staying right behind him, thank you," Raven said primly and Constantine laughed.

"Such an intriguing little demon, but I swear upon all which is holy not to attack or exorcise you, Gem, unless you should threaten my companions, then I will annihilate you," Constantine warned.

"Same warning applies, but I'm staying behind him," Raven said. Damian frown, he didn't know how to react to this interaction.

"Suit yourself, love," Constantine shrugged.

"You are adorable," Zed said and Damian jumped when she touched his hair, and glared at the woman for the touch.

"I am not adorable!" he hissed.

"Of course not, you're a grown man," Zed smiled. "We're going to have to talk about this Jason."

"Believe it or not, I didn't pick him up or kidnap him, he's with little bird here," Jason said.

"Is Zed really your name?" Damian asked coldly. "It sounds like an alias."

"It's the only name you're going to get, kid," she said and Constantine grinned.

"Did you bring whatever it is we need?" Jason asked and Damian looked back at the blond.

"Of course, but for the sake of safety and effectiveness I insist we go to a church and set up the proper barriers," Constantine said.

"An exorcist, a sinner, and a demon walk into a church, sounds like the start of a bad joke," Jason snickered.

"Why?" Damian asked Constantine as he ignored Jason.

"Because, Gem here, is a beacon to be challenged by demons, she's good at hiding her power but I'm sure that once she's in Jason's mind and not focused on repressing her own power she will summon every demon in the country for a challenge," Constantine gestured to Raven.

"I usually send them running the other direction," Raven monotonously stated.

"Is that so?"

"But if you want the barrier I'm more than happy to have it," Raven said. "I don't like the idea of leaving my body to your care," she said.

"I'd be offended, but you're the Gem of Scath," Constantine smirked.

"Which church?" Damian piped up.

"St. Paul's is close enough," Constantine shrugged.

"Really?" Zed scowled at him.

"I know the priest there, he'll let us in," Constantine stated.

"This ought to be interesting," Raven muttered.

"Don't worry, Gem, the Big Guy's a bit too busy with not interfering with the world to care if a demon walks into his house or not," Constantine smugly grinned.

"He's not the one I'm worried about," Raven growled.

"Good then, let's go," Constantine downed his drink and they all walked out of the pub, Damian walked close to Jason and Raven, both of whom seemed comfortable. Zatara was growling about Constantine not preforming real magic, ad being scourge on the magic society. Zed and Constantine were walking together, and Constatine was talking with Jason. Damian tugged on Raven's sweatshirt and she looked over at him.

"What did you mean about leaving your body?" he asked.

"My astral form, or my soul-self, will be leaving my body as I enter Jason's mind. If I were a normal human I would just enter completely, but I'm not. My body will be left behind," Raven said.

"That does not sound…" Damian frowned as he thought it over. "Wise."

"Perhaps, perhaps not however, it is a part of how my physiology and magic works," Raven said. "I rarely leave my body unprotected, even when I do this in a battle, however I am completely vulnerable to an attack when I leave my body," she shrugged. "Normally I just take it with me, but I can't do that this time."

"And why do we want barriers?"

"On the off chance Constantine is right, and a demon should come to challenge me, however I doubt that will happen." Raven looked indifferent to this but Damian was now exceedingly curious. True, hearing that Raven was the most powerful Titan was hard to believe, hearing how Jason respected her because of her abilities was easy to see, but to think of Raven as dangerous…

He just couldn't see it. Raven was indifferent and passive, and she didn't fight often, she sought meditation a lot, and she rarely used more than her telekinetic abilities.

"Why would they not challenge you?"

"I am the Gem of Scath, my father is Trigon," she said as if that were answer enough. Damian just frowned as he thought this over.

It wasn't much of an answer, but Grayson had used that as answer enough on several occasions so he'd leave it be.

"I do not understand why my cousin couldn't do this for you?" Zatara snapped suddenly.

"Because I trust her with my head about as much as I trust Lex Luther with kryptonite!" Jason snapped. Damian snickered at that, he had to admit, Jason had funny analogies.

"But you trust the Gem of Scath with it?" Zed asked hotly.

"Yes, little bird and I have a deal," Jason smiled like a shark and Damian again wondered what Raven had on Red X and Red Hood to make him comply with her demands.

* * *

"Zed, love, you three will protect the outside, I'll guard them," Constantine said when they reached the cathedral. Raven was inclined to agree, the exterior would need protecting, which was why she'd agreed to let Zachary come with them, however, Damian would be coming with them. She was not leaving the Bat she was in charge of out in the open to a supernatural attack.

"Damian, come," Raven motioned. "He is coming, Constantine, he's my charge."

"I don't…"

"It's not a negotiation," she warned.

"I'm cool with it," Jason shrugged. "It's not like he's coming in my head so whatever sunshine says."

"Fine, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"Damian will interfere with nothing," Raven said and gave a pointed look to the ten year old who returned a blank stare. Damian reluctantly nodded.

"Fine, fine, but he does exactly what I tell him or this will hurt," Constantine warned.

"Very well, I do not know anything about magic," Damian admitted.

"Good, glad to see there's at least one smart bat," Constantine stated. Jason rolled his eyes and Raven followed them into the church. She shivered a bit, she tried not to go into churches; even on Azarath she had refrained from entering temples. As her father's daughter, she did not belong in Holy Houses. Raven pushed a barrier through the church then, she felt the birds on the roof scatter and she looked around.

"We're alone," she said softly.

"Good, time to get to work, now, Robin is it? Up top, here's the design, I need you to copy it exactly, painting it in this, one facing north, another facing east and west, and the one in the south, each corner up top, go."

Damian reluctantly nodded as he took the image and the spray can and left.

"Sensors, wise," she nodded.

"Yeah, Zed will be having Zachary do the same on the exterior, now, if you would be a Gem and move all the pews, we'll set you up in the center," Constantine said. Raven lifted her hand as she push a portal over the church floor taking everything as she tucked it safely away in another dimension to be returned.

"Excellent, now here's the barrier," Constantine pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Jason, and Raven studied it, making mental changes.

"I'll take care of it," Raven said as she took the paint from Constantine and walked to the center of the room. She paused for a moment.

"Please don't smite me," she pleaded with the Master of the House and then she used her powers as she started letting the paint fly over the floor, staining it as she created the symbol she needed and wanted for a barrier. Her wrist of her free hand flicked as she used her telekinesis to summon her bag of supplies and she started pulling out the candles.

* * *

Jason took a steadying breath before he opened his mouth to talk to Constantine. He did like the exorcist, however, Jason was also wary of the man. He and Zed were good people, taken him in when they didn't have to and answering the fucking phone when he needed help (not that he called them often). However, Zed mother-henned him, Chad tried to father him, and Constantine was always offering help with the Lazarus Pit.

"Where's Chas?" Jason asked.

"It's his weekend with his daughter," Constantine answered as they ducked Raven's flying bag. "So, Bruce's youngest?"

"No, he doesn't know, Raven's kept her word about keeping the information to herself," Jason said flatly. "But yeah, traveling with another bat, he's just like Bruce too that it's infuriating and then he's like Dick, but there's these moments he's like Talia too. Mostly he's himself though, I think."

"You going to talk to Bruce after this?" Constantine asked.

"Fuck no," Jason snapped.

"He'll find out you're alive eventually, best to rip off the bandage rather than peel it off," Constantine shrugged.

"I'll deal with him when and if he figures out I'm alive," Jason hissed. "He made his choice, and I'm not dealing with him."

"It's not that simple, lad and you know it," Constantine countered.

"But it is. He picked, and I'm not his pick, I'm done with his bullshit, I've got enough shit to deal with, I don't need Daddy Bat's disapproving glare or Golden Boy's superiority complex," Jason growled. Raven pulled something from her bag and started pouring it slowly around the circle.

"You must really trust the Gem if she knows your secret," he said.

"Raven is trustworthy," Jason shrugged. Raven was… she was easy to be around, she was comfortable, and it scared him how easy it was for him to be around her.

"Jason, I'm telling you this because I've grown fond of you, but be careful, you're playing a dangerous game letting a demon in your head, even one like Raven," Constantine said softly.

"She's better than a Bat," Jason countered.

"Need anything love?" Constantine called out.

"Yes, what relic are we using?" Raven asked as she flew over to them.

"Here," Constaine pulled a coin and flipped it to her Raven. Jason walked over to Raven who held it up and inspected it carefully.

"The Keshanti Key," she muttered.

"How does it work?" he asked. It looked like one of those ancient coins, and useless.

"It's basically a magical shortcut," Constantine stated. "It allows the user to access different planes of existence without doing twenty odd hours of incantations. In this case it'll take Gem, here, straight to your memories, and with Gem's own abilities you'll be joining her."

"What do you mean her abilities?" Jason asked coldly.

"I'm going to help you have an astral form and take you with me," Raven said.

"What!?"

"That's what's she's set up on the ground along with a barrier, very clever, Gem," Constantine smirked as if he were impressed.

"My name is Raven, is it really so hard to use?" Raven grumbled.

"Yes, it's so boring and you're not boring, little bird," Jason said.

"And a summoning pentagram, what is that for, darling?" Constantine said.

"Me, it'll summon me away should I get out of control; I have a safe area which will summon me, a different plane altogether, it will also summon Jason and I back should we be attacked. It wouldn't do to be trapped in his memories and die," Raven said.

"Clever," Constantine mused. Jason just assumed that this meant Raven had a failsafe in place, which was fine by him because had plenty of those.

"Alright, Jason, last chance to back out," Raven turned on him, he stared down at her as she landed.

"You need the book back and I have a reputation to defend, I'm not backing out," he growled.

"Very well, be warned though, I will have no control over which memories I see before I find the one we need," she said.

"Don't tell anyone and we'll be fine."

She nodded.

"Kay, I'm going to light the circle when she's entered your mind," Constantine said.

"Yeah, yeah, do the voodoo or whatever, just don't get me killed, I have shit to do before I die, again," Jason dryly remarked. Raven soften.

"You're not going to die Jason," Raven informed him. "Trust me, I'm not going to let you die, again."

She held her hand out and he hesitated for a moment, he hated how easy it was to trust her, and worse, he hated himself for willingly trusting another when everyone proved they'd let him down. However, he would trust Raven. Taking her dainty hand in his he marveled again in how small she was before she flew, lifting him and flew him into the center of the circle. She summoned incents the and placed them in a small bowl before lighting them.

"Ready?" Raven asked as she opened her palm, the coin floated in her black magic then. Jason wanted to say no, but he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good," she replied, and her second eyes, instead of red they glowed white and he watched as she levitated before the cool metal of the coin hit his brow, his eyes widened and suddenly a large, navy blue-black bird surged up in the air, the glow around Raven was unmistakable as the bird dove for him, and there was a flash of blinding light as the black bird slammed into him. But there was no pain in this darkness, no, he only felt a cool warmth wrap around him, and a stillness settle over him, it felt like Raven's calm, the calm she'd given him as she'd taken his Lazarus Pit bloodlust away.

"Jason," a monotone called out, and he opened his eyes to see them standing there in pitch black, Raven's robes were white, and her hood was up, but her four eyes glowed white as she stared at him.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Your mind," she said and the blackness receded back to Raven and he found himself standing in Crime Alley.

* * *

He shivered as he felt it and he smiled, she was vulnerable…

They weren't making much progress on the book but perhaps he could hurt her and weaken the spell. The Gem of Scath was powerful, but he was an element of Chaos, he would destroy her. Breaking her would break a lot of her spells.

"Come Teekl, we have a little Gem to visit," he smiled.

He'd been hired to break the book and get her mind, the last Nevermore, and by getting the Nevermore he'd have control of Trigon's most powerful spawn. However, if he could break her will on her spells she'd never hold against his employer.

This would be so much fun! He was so excited!

It'd been a long time since he'd battled someone as versed in magic as the Gem of Scath would be, and that cheating helmet didn't count! Stupid Nabu! Always ruining his fun!

Not for long though…

The Gem of Scath would bring a hell which not even Nabu and his current wearer could fight! And he was so excited! Stupid mortals should have known better than to make pacts with Trigon.

Smiling he cackled as he created a portal and walked through it.

* * *

Talia looked up when her computer beeped with a result on the search she'd been running on Jason and her eyes widened seeing his little group.

Oh, the woman she knew and Talia would be killing Raven all in due time, however it was the small boy in the company of Raven and Jason which had her blood running cold.

Damian!

She might not be his mother anymore but that did not mean she did not care about her son as she grabbed every possible weapon and called all the assets in London to take her son and get him away from Raven. She'd personal see to the death of Jason and Raven, but Damian's safety trumped the mission right now.

"Wilson, get us a plane, they are in London," she called out as she walked out of the bedroom on the phone. She was swift in her instructions and confident that the League would do as ordered and save her son. Her beloved's foolishness in allowing their son to be near such a creature! She'd expect such idiocity from Grayson or Kent, but not her beloved. She grabbed her gear.

"Got us a plane," Wilson informed her.

"Good, we're leaving, now," she said sharper than she intended. He just growled as he grabbed his gear and stalked after her. Damian was no longer Bruce's son, she'd be taking her child back if Bruce could not be the responsible and protective parent!

* * *

Raven turned from Jason as she looked at his mindscape, she was unsurprised that it was Gotham, but she was surprised at the way his memories flickered in the windows. His pain, his sorrow, his compassion, his love it all hit her as she stared at the memories. He was so much more than even he knew, and he reminded her a bit of Damian in that regard. Hidden in their depths was a so much kindness, gentleness, and compassion, she just wished everyone else could see this.

"Come on," she said as she offered him her hand again, he didn't hesitate as he slipped his hand in hers and she flew up. His emotions were a storm, hitting her but Raven was focused, she was after something specific. She landed on a rooftop and looked around, her eyes narrowed as she saw it and grabbed Jason as she ran after it. She could feel that this was what she was seeking, it was brighter than the other memories, but bitter too, and amused.

"Whoa, Sunshine," he slowed her.

"Trust me," she smiled and he stumbled after her, she surged forward, dragging him with her as the shadows wrapped around them and she slammed into a window, the glass didn't shatter as they stood in a memory now.

"Ow, be nicer with my head," he snapped as he rubbed his head.

"Sorry, but you have strong barriers, it takes a lot of force," she admitted. Jason had a strong mind, perhaps this was why he had remained unbroken and Raven looked around the memory.

She sensed Jason of the memory in the rafters, concealed in the dark, unaware of the intrusion, however Raven was waiting.

The door opened and in sauntered Zatanna, her eyes narrowed on the woman, her features were a bit blurred, but no memory was perfect.

"Do you know her?" Raven asked.

Jason walked up to her, the memory was frozen and he studied her face closely.

"Honestly, she looks like Zatanna…" he muttered. "But her eyes… they're…" he trailed off.

"They're what?" Raven asked as the memory resumed and Jason stood there looking at the woman, assessing her. Raven stood there patiently.

"Fuck me backwards," he snarled.

"I'd rather I didn't," she replied dryly, he looked at her then and he laughed.

"I just might love you, sunshine," he chuckled.

"Who is she?" Raven asked.

"The Queen of Manipulation and Seduction," Jason answered. Raven gasped when his memory was ripped from beneath her feet and the world blurred as it moved, she grabbed Jason to keep a hold and then turned and found herself staring into Damian's eyes, those hard, unreadable, sharp eyes which had her jumping a bit.

"Talia al Ghul," Jason said and Raven watched as the woman smiled a cold yet seductive smile before she surged forward and she saw the boy fall from where Jason stood, and Jason just looked at her.

"Damian's mother?" Raven murmured as she looked at Jason, away from the memory.

"The one and only," he growled and the memory broke as they stood in Crime Alley again.

"She tried to kill us in Newark," Raven remarked, she wasn't willing to talk to him about the conflicting emotions he had bombarding her senses, and the way Talia evoked them.

"Yeah, makes sense," he muttered. "I have no fucking clue why she'd want the Book of Azarath though, the League of Assassins isn't magically inclined."

"No," she murmured. "But they have the Lazarus Pit," Raven muttered as she grabbed his hand again and flew, she knew what she sought as her empathy surged and she looked for it, she found the glowing green of his emotions as she dragged him to the memory.

"Rae, no!" he gasped, and she turned on him.

"The Lazarus Pit is of the few, and final, connections my father holds on this realm. The only other is something I possess," Raven said. "I need to see your memory of the Pit," she stated.

"Rae, please… no," he whispered.

"Jason, I will never speak of it, and no one will know about it," she assured.

"I don't want to see it!" he snapped. "It's… fuck…" he growled.

"If you have nightmares about it I'll take them," she murmured lowly and he stopped his pacing as he turned to her.

"What?"

"I'll take the nightmares Jason, even after we get the Book of Azarath, I will help you however I can, and however you need, but please. You're the only person here who's been in the Pit… and I need to feel it," she whispered as she stepped towards him.

"Fuck…" he growled. "You promise?"

"Yes," she nodded slowly.

"This is a bad fucking idea," he snarled.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she caught his jaw and forced him to look at her. "I am sorry to force you to live through this, but I will do whatever you need to help you recover," she assured. "Even leave the Titans for as long as needed."

"I don't need you to leave the Titans, I need not to dream about this, again," he stated.

"I will help with that," she assured.

"Fuck, go," he waved her off, and Raven grabbed his hand again. "But I warn you little bird, you're not going to like what you see or feel."

"Jason," she turned on him again and he stared at her blankly. "I'm a daughter of Trigon, I'm an empath, and I survived in a hellish universe for three human years feeling every possible horror there was after he annihilated my home and my people. You know pain, but so do I, and I can take it."

"You've never felt this," he assured her meekly.

"I know, but I can take it," she assured him. "And I will help you bear it."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I never do," she reminded him and she flew into a glowing green building.

* * *

Jason winced as he re-watched the memory, re-felt it, he whimpered a bit at the icy burn and the overwhelming bloodlust and rage tearing him apart. Raven watched quietly, he tightened his grip on her hand, and she squeezed his reassuringly. God, did he hate this memory, and he had shitty ones, but this one was the one which he hated the most.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as the memory faded because he blacked out.

"If you got what you need, we're even," he winced at the harsh sound of his voice, even in his psyche he sounded weak after that memory.

"I did," she whispered.

"What?"

"The day before our teams came, the day before you stole my book, Victor showed me something…" she whispered. "I did not think it was possible."

"What?"

"The League of Assassins had synthesized the Lazarus Pit, and given it to the Church of Blood, but the ritual the Church of Blood is planning on using it for… I guess it is possible," she sighed.

"Rae?" he tugged her hand and her four glowing white eyes looked at him.

"They're trying to recreate the ritual which summoned my father the first time, the Bride of Satan rite," she muttered. "They just intend to do it without the bride."

"How?"

"They probably have formed a pact with the League of Assassins, they took the Book of Azarath, but it's not the book which is important. It's what I put in the book," she whispered.

"And what did you put in the book?"

"A portal to my mind, where the final barrier between me being a door for my father again and Trigon's return," she muttered as she rubbed her brow.

"What?"

"You stole my mind Jason, I did not care about the book other than it was a final relic of my home, but you stole my mind, and that is the final barrier between Trigon and me being his door," Raven said calmly. "If they drop the Nevermore into the Lazarus Pit… that's enough power to 'restore' me to a full demon and I will be unable to stop my father's influence of me and I will be compelled to fulfill my purpose. Trigon will walk this earth again."

"The League of Assassins won't stand for that. They might want to destroy the world, but they also want to rebuild it, everything about Trigon is devouring the world."

"Jason, where do you think the bloodlust and madness of the Pit come from? My father's influence, and the leader of the League of Assassin's, Damian's Grandfather, Ra's al Ghul, has been bathing in the Pit for centuries, my father's probably fully corrupted him and he's influenced by him."

"Ra's is dead," Jason said carefully.

"That is what you believe, but knowing my father I doubt it, I doubt it very much," she whispered. "I'm so sorry Jason, you should have never had to live through that."

"It's… fine," he lied.

"No, it's not, and I'll help you how I can. But first, I need to get the Nevermore back before those idiots in the Church of Blood summon my father," she stated monotonously. He heard her sorrow though and he looked at her.

"You said Trigon destroyed your home dimension, how? And why aren't you revolted by everything you've seen in my head so far?"

"My mother, she was a human of earth, nothing extraordinary about her, but she was young, pretty, impressionable, and gullible, she was pulled into a cult. I think the Church of Blood, but she never said. They decided to do the Bride of Satan rite, and guess who was the lucky bride?

"The ritual was not supposed to work, but it turned out that with my mother's minimal talent for magic it did. She was strong enough to open a temporary gate for Trigon to step through, she didn't know this at the time, and the people were all in awe of the man who stepped out of the smoke. My mother was wed to him, and that night… he raped her, over and over, but mom's power couldn't hold him in this realm, so he was released from here.

"She fled the cult, was on the run and Azar appeared to her. Azar was the leader of Azarath and said that there was a great prophecy for the child my mother would bear, the Gem of Scath, Azarath called the child, called me. She offered a chance for my mother to save me, and my mother, despite all the horrors my father had inflicted upon her with the attack, wanted me. I'll never know why, but she went with Azar to Azarath. Azarath was a realm of beauty, peace, knowledge, and harmony.

"I didn't fit in. I learned, I inherited Magic from my mother, and my father's heritage strengthened it, however, I also had a gift of empathy, a curse really. I guess I was too much like my mother, but I was nine, and I… I wanted a father, I wanted to have my father's love and pride. I accidentally opened a door, for that's what the Gem of Scath is best at, and he came.

"I was Azarath's Trojan horse, and the genocide I brought, I created an apocalypse, and I felt every life as it ended," Raven looked at Jason. "He took me to his hellish universe where I received every torture there was, and for an empath there is plenty. It nearly drove me insane until I escaped and made it to Earth. I destroyed an entire realm Jason, all by opening a door. I won't let him destroy earth.

"So see, I can't be revolted by you, I've done so much worse and killed so many more than you can or did," she said. "And I felt it all."

"I'm sorry I asked," he muttered.

"Why? It revolt you?" she asked with a that ghost smile of hers.

"No, but because I know how hard it is to talk about painful things," he answered.

* * *

Raven softened at his sincerity and she took his hand in hers' again.

"It's fine, Jason, I've accepted that I am capable of great pain and destruction, but I've also learned I can chose to be good, and I can chose to live," she said. "You can to, and I'll help you if you need it."

"I don't…" he started.

"You deserve to live life Jason," she informed him sincerely. "Life's more than pain and sorrow."

"Let's just get your mind back before the end or the world and we'll negotiate from there," Jason said cautiously.

"Trust me Jason," she said softly. "I'm not going to hurt your or let you fall."

"Like I said, let's get your mind back then negotiate," he muttered.

"Very well," she nodded and then she felt a burn of flames as a pentagon ignited around them.

"What the hell?"

"We're being summoned back!" she informed him as she held onto him so he didn't fight it.

There was a blast and Raven felt her soul slam into her body as she roled.

"So nice to have you back Gem, I must admit you are a difficult creature to summon but now that I have your attention I'd like a moment of your time," a voice spoke.

"What the fuck hit us?" Jason moaned.

"I already have collected you companions by the way, they did make it difficult," the voice informed her.

"Who…?" she whispered as she looked up and saw Zachary, Damian, Constantine, and Zed all floating overhead, unconscious. The scrawny figure stepped out of the shadows, cat in arms and he smiled deviously.

"Let me introduce myself, Klarion, a Lord of Chaos," he bowed.


	17. We're So Past Being Grounded

**We're So Past Grounded…**

"I gotta pee!" Jon whispered.

"Oh come on!" Jaime muttered from where he was stuck in the cargo. Cassie came to at that moment, and they all winced as Kaldur slammed his hand over her mouth.

"Did you hear that?" they heard Tim and Jaime winced.

"Yeah," was Stephanie's reply and Jaime tensed when he heard feet coming to the compartment they were stowing away in and then it was open.

"What the!?" Tim gaped.

"SomeBatsyouare! We'vebeenin herefor hoursandhoursandhours!" Bart started super speed talking as he climbed out, Superboy flew out and straight to the bathroom as Jaime crawled out.

"What are you doing here?" Tim sputtered.

"I was sick of being Terra's punching bag, Raven's missing, the Titans are going to hell because your brother so does not know how to run the Titans, and Cy's always busy, and then Bart came and he brought Jon, and then Bart decided that this was a Team Raven team thing for whatever it is you two stole Cy's jet for," Jaime filled in.

"I Did Not Agree To Come!" Cassie shrieked as she flew up and then glared at him.

"I didn't want you to come!" Jaime snapped.

"AAAHHH! Tim! There's a flying Super here!" Stephanie shouted.

"We have stowaways!" he shouted back.

"Oh, cool, call Supes so we aren't arrested for kidnapping," Stephanie shouted.

Jaime ran a hand over his face as Bart zipped around the jet.

"Whoa!Prettycool!" Impulse shouted.

"We're going to London, Raven's there with Damian," Tim said.

"Are they in trouble?" Kaldur asked as Cassie joined Stephanie in the cockpit.

"Dunno, but the guy they're with is," Tim said.

"Who are they with?" Jaime asked. "And dude! Seriously! Stop running, normal speed or I'll knock you out!"

Bart skidded to a halt then.

"You're no fun, no fun at all," Bart informed him solemnly then grinned widely.

"They're traveling with a Jason Todd," Tim said.

"Who's that?" Jaime asked.

"The second Robin before he died," Tim said.

"Then he's dead, how could Raven be traveling with him?" Kaldur asked as he sat in a passenger's seat.

"Dunno, but the Assassins have a hit out on him," Tim said.

"Hmm, and they are unaware of this, it is wise then that we decided to come as a team," Kaldur decided.

"Yeah, yeah, Assassins trying to kill us beats Terra any day of the week," Jaime stated sincerely as he buckled up. Jaime liked the Titans, Cy was awesome, Raven was chill, and he liked that they pretty much let him have free range. However, the additions of the demon spawn and Terra were less than desirable. Damian was alright, but Dios, he hated Terra! Jaime did not know how Raven tolerated the girl, she was brattier than a two year old. And he'd once had a two year old bratty sister once, and his sister (who was still a colossal brat) was better than Terra.

"You have worked with Raven the longest, will she be able to handle a fully trained Assassin from the League of Assassins?" Tim asked.

"If they don't get close to her, but getting close to her is hard enough, Raven's a long distance fighter, she's the last line of defense," Jaime stated. "Cy says that if Raven's provoked and were to unleash her powers she could do serious damage, but she doesn't use all her powers. If they should get close to her though she's screwed, Raven's not a hand to hand combatant. At least, not to the level the rest of us are, she's got self-defense down though."

"How could she not know how to fight? She's a demon!" Cassie announced irritably as she took a seat.

"Have you ever seen Raven in a real fight? No one gets close to her and if they do she moves out of the way for Cy or someone to handle, it's pretty cool how she does it!" Jaime grinned. He'd seen Raven in a full-blown fight with Damian and Damian couldn't even close to her, and when he did Raven had this trick of shadows that moved her.

"Why's it so bad if she's a demon?" Jon appeared floating then and grinning as he hung upside down.

"Yeah!Inevergotthat!She'sacoolTitanandnowourTeamLeader,she'sgottabecool!" Bart blurted out then.

"She's the daughter of Trigon! She's a monster who could destroy our world! She does not belong here!" Cassie shouted.

"No need to shout!" Jaime hissed at her as he rubbed his ear then.

"TIM!" Stephanie shouted.

"Huh?"

"How do I land!?"

"I thought you read the manual!" Tim shouted at her.

"I did! But everything's in a different language I don't know!" Tim bolted for the cockpit then and Jaime buckled in, grabbed Jon and tossed him in a seat.

"Buckle up!" Tim shouted.

Everyone did as they were told, and Jaime grimaced, they were so grounded when Raven found out they stole Cy's jet!

"Everyone prepare for a crash landing!" Tim's voice sounded overhead. "We are over the English Channel, we're going to need help Kaldur!"

They were so dead though when Cy found out they crashed his jet in the Atlantic!

Still beat dealing with Terra, he promised himself as the scarab screamed and his armor wrapped around him furiously just as they started going down.

" _ **I NEVER EVEN WANTED TO COME!**_ " Cassie screamed, and Jaime kind of agreed with her as his stomach dropped and they screamed.

He was so dead when his mom found out that he was crashing in the English Channel! He closed his eyes as he mentally screamed a prayer and hoped that he wasn't sent to Hell for his latest list of sins which included stealing this jet! This was so very bad, so very not good!

Please let Raven come save their asses before the League found out!

"Holdyourarmsuplikethis!" Bart shouted in glee.

"Prepare for a water landing!" Stephanie's voice shouted and Jaime wince.

" _ **WEEEE!**_ " Jon shouted and then they slammed into the water, he gasped as they hit it.

They were so dead if they survived this.

* * *

Dick stayed in Gotham that night and he was now awake in the after midnight, but not yet dawn, morning as he walked to the kitchen seeking out a meal. He was so angry with Bruce, and just as angry with himself.

Dick hadn't been around for the Red Hood crisis, he'd been having a crisis of his own, and Tim had just joined the Titans, and everything was… chaotic. He'd been trying to be a cop, a Titan, Nightwing, Dick Grayson, Richard, and date Barbara. That'd been three years ago, and he'd offered to help Bruce with the Red Hood thing, but Bruce had steadfastly refused because they were still at that locked horns stage of their relationship.

Now Dick wished he'd looked more into the Red Hood, he wished he'd been a better brother with Jason, he wished that he and Bruce didn't fight so much back then, and he wished more than anything that Jason would come home. He wanted his little brother, the stranger who that had been, back, he wanted to know the man who that scrappy kid had grown into. But more than that, he wanted to apologize to Jason, he wanted to tell Jason that he had a home, he had a family, he had brothers. And more than that, Dick wanted to be his brother.

"Master Dick," Alfred greeted him when he walked into he kitchen.

"Hey Alfie," Dick smiled weakly as he sat at the counter. He noted that the older man was in his pajamas. "Couldn't sleep?"

"The news of Master Jason is distracting," Alfred said.

"Hey, you were probably closest to him… what was he liked?" Dick asked.

"He liked to cook, he horded food around the Manor, he loved to read, once he learned how he wouldn't stopped, he had the terrible habit of smoking, at least he'd do that outside, and he had a way to pick up languages," Alfred said.

"Huh, didn't think he'd do that," Dick smirked.

"He was very smart, but impatient, suspicious of everyone and everything, more so than Master Bruce I might add. He did not like hugs, or being touched unless he could see you coming, and he got in a lot of detentions at school for fights he'd get in with the older kids," Alfred said fondly.

"What were the fights about?"

"He would never tell, but I suspect it was defending girls or the younger kids, he did not tolerate the mistreatment of girls or children. And the boy had a mouth on him which would have sailors blushing," Alfred wryly added and Dick snickered. He remembered that about Jason, Jason could out swear most of the criminals of Gotham's underworld and make even Bruce blush.

"He had a good sense of humor though," Alfred said fondly.

"You said he liked cooking once before, I was so pissed I didn't want to hear it," Dick admitted.

"He was an excellent cook, held a natural talent for it. He liked working on cars too, when he wasn't stealing hub caps, and tinkering on the Batwing, the motorcycles, the explosives. He liked using his hands for work, he also had a sharp mind," Alfred said.

"Never knew that," Dick admitted.

"Jason also kept every possession in his care in pristine condition, and would take care of his things, he even made his bed and helped with the cleaning around the Manor on the weekends. He did not shy away from domestic chores, or the yard work. He even volunteered to help me," Alfred pointedly said and Dick sheepishly looked away.

"However, he could not stand silence, he would blare music, the television or talk nonstop. There was no silence in this house while he was here," Alfred said softly.

"I wish I'd been his brother," Dick muttered.

"He'd have driven you insane, Master Dick, he was head strong, temperamental, surly, and uncooperative on his best days, on his worst one could not find him regardless of where they were in the Manor, he hid in the basement for three days once and Master Bruce was concerned he'd run off. He was a good boy though, good heart, happy laugh when he laughed and a huge smile when he smiled for real. He was compassionate despite his upbringing and he was better with chatting people up than Master Bruce or you ever were if they were from Crime Alley.

"I caught him smuggling food out of the Manor shortly after he agreed to stay to an orphanage in Crime Alley, and to the homeless kids. He also chatted up three prostitutes, and punched a would be mugger, as Jason Todd, not Robin, who attacked one of the prostitutes. There was no difference between him as Robin and him as Jason Todd," Alfred said.

"Now I kind of wished I hadn't been such an ass to him," Dick muttered.

"He'd have been suspicious if you'd been kind to him. He did not trust easily, and probably still doesn't after everything that happened here as the Red Hood," Alfred said sadly. "That child was a storm, he was like a hurricane, so much to him."

"Really? I just thought he was a street rat fighter," Dick admitted.

"Master Dick, all of you are different, and have brought different traits to being Robin, but Master Jason was a storm, he did nothing halfway, and he would not stop until he was done" Alfred said. "He might not have been the best Robin when compared to you, Master Dick, but he was a good Robin all the same. Just different."

"I wish Bruce had called me the moment he suspected it was Jason," Dick muttered, they'd have kept Timothy out of it because the Red Hood had shown he was ruthless, but Dick would want to help bring Jason home.

"I wish that Master Bruce had made a different choice that day as well. But what's done is done, just bring Master Jason home," Alfred said.

Dick nodded in agreement when his Titan's communicator rang furiously.

"Hello?"

" _ **YOUR BROTHER AND BARBARA'S GIRL AND RAVEN'S TEAM HAVE STOLEN KORI'S JET, THE ONE I'VE BEEN REBUILDING FOR SIX YEARS!**_ " Cy roared.

* * *

Victor had only come down because he'd gotten a goofy sensor blip, and it was nearly ten o'clock at night and he'd just finished running all the information he could on Jason Todd. And he'd come up with a blip, a possible sighting. It was iffy though and he had decided to check his goofy blip first.

Now he was glaring at where his jet should have been. Stepping back, he looked over the security footage; the one no one knew about but him because living with Bats had taught him one thing: have backups of backups of backups because they'd erase it all if they could. He scowled seeing Jaime and Jon come running in the garage, then there was a blur into the jet, a blur out, and another blur into the jet, then showed up Batgirl and Red Robin.

Oh he was furious!

However, he was now suspicious as he ran a diagnostic on himself and his systems and found he'd been hacked! It wasn't like the hacker had gotten much, just the encrypted message from the Assassins, and the photo which was blurry. However, because of the level of skill required to hack his systems that well he had only two suspects.

One: Batman, but face it Dick was talking to Bruce about the file.

And Two: Red Robin, and the kid walked onto a jet with Batgirl, Blue Beetle, Superboy, and Impulse and probably two others; he was betting would be Cassie and Kaldur; he did the hack.

Growling Cyborg stalked Garfield's room and pounded on the door.

"What!?" Garfield appeared looking sleepy.

"You're in charge until Star's back," Cy snapped.

"Huh? What happened? I'm dreaming, I have to be dreaming," Gar muttered as he rubbed his eyes.

"You're not dreaming BB, you're now in charge until Star's back," he called out.

"Where are you going?" Gar shouted after him.

"To kill some Bats!" Victor shouted as he called Dick then.

"Hello?"

" _ **YOUR BROTHER AND BARBARA'S GIRL AND RAVEN'S TEAM HAVE STOLEN KORI'S JET, THE ONE I'VE BEEN REBUILDING FOR SIX YEARS!**_ " He roared as he made his way to the roof.

"WHAT!?" Dick roared.

"According to my tracker it's over the English Channel, I'm booming over there, you wake up Kori because she's in charge and get Bat's! It's his kids' faults!"

"Yup!" Dick responded before he hung up.

Cyborg just rubbed his brow, he'd been working on Star's crashed starship for six years! SIX! Ever since they'd recovered it after her crash landing in San Francisco Bay! And he was willing to bet those idiot Bats thought it was a regular jet.

Victor just hoped that it wasn't in a flaming, spectacular wreck! He and Kori were so close to finishing it!

* * *

Kori grumbled when Dick came in and shook her awake.

"Sleeping," she muttered.

"Kori, Cy's coming, something's happened with the Titans, you're in charge, we're booming you back home now, come on, wake up," he said. She floated and he pulled her along.

"What happened?" she yawned as she held onto Dick's hand as he guided her along.

"Guessing Tim, and Steph did something stupid and so did Raven's team, Bruce and I will be going with Victor to wherever the kids went to get them back, and you're in charge of the Titans."

"Mmm," she hummed sleepily. She did not understand his urgency about this matter but she knew Dick was over protective of his baby siblings, and she understood that he would do whatever needed to keep them safe.

"Sorry Kori," he murmured.

"'S'fine," she yawned. "I will take care of the Titans until your safe and glorious return."

"Thanks, you're amazing, you know that right?"

"Of course," Kori smiled sleepily as her lover pulled her down and kissed her. She really loved him when he did these small gestures of caring that weren't sexual at all, they reassured her that this was a good thing.

"I'll see you when we get back," he promised.

"Of course," she nodded.

"Stay here, Cy will be here in a sec I'm getting Bruce," he kissed her again and was gone. Kori hummed a bit as she folded her legs and let herself float to the ceiling, sighing when her head hit it. She was happy.

Tonight had not been a great dinner with Bruce, but she sensed that the news of Jason and something more had created the tension at the table and not Dick's announcement that she was his girlfriend. It was a relief that that seemed to be a relatively light topic.

"Princess Kori," a voice called her and she sleepily looked down.

"Hello Alfred," she yawned and felt herself sinking to his level.

"What are you doing out of bed and on my ceiling?" he asked her looking rather curiously.

"Dick told me Vic's sending me home and to wait here, I was trying to be out of the way," she explained sleepily.

"I see, well, if you could please refrain from sleeping on the ceiling that would be appreciated Princess Kori," he said.

"Alright," she hummed as she rubbed her eyes.

"And thank you, Princess Kori," Alfred said which had her blinking tiredly at the old man as he moved to leave.

"For what? I was the guest," she said.

"For making Master Dick happy, he has not smiled like that in a long time, I am glad he's found someone who makes him happy," Alfred said as he disappeared and Kori smiled just as there was a boom and Victor walked out.

"Victor!" she smiled as she hugged him and yawned.

"Hey Kori, how was dinner?"

"Delicious but tense, how are the Titans?" she asked.

"How do we function without Raven?"

"I do not know."

"Me either, I'm booming you to your room," he informed her.

"Thank you, call me in the morning," she hummed as she went through the opened Boom Tube.

* * *

Dick found Bruce in the study staring at his parents portraits and he sighed.

"Bruce…" he started.

"Hn?"

"Tim and Steph stole Kori's jet, Raven's team is on it, and Cy's coming to get us to go get them."

"Why would they steal a jet?" Bruce asked, that news seemed to snap him out of his stupor as he looked at him. Dick shrugged, honestly he didn't know what was going on, just that they had stolen the jet and Victor was not happy. Not happy at all. And a pissed of Cyborg was a dangerous thing.

"No idea," he admitted as he flopped onto the couch then. They were silent for a beat before Dick opened his mouth. "You're… you're not the only one who screwed up with Jason. I was a pretty shitty brother to him, and I made it clear I didn't want him as a brother. So you're really not the only one who screwed up with him."

"If I had just grabbed him instead…" Bruce muttered.

"He'd have killed the Joker," Dick said calmly. "Bruce, I don't get you and the Joker, personally I'd pick my brother rather than the Joker, and I'd do it even back then. I would pick Jay before the Joker. But I understand why you didn't. I don't agree with that, but I get it. However, this time, no matter what, we pick him. He comes home."

"Where are we getting the kids?" Bruce asked tiredly as he stood.

"Dunno, Cy's pissed though, better change," Dick muttered as they walked to the clock and made their way to the Batcave. Dick's eyes landed on the computer and his eyes widened.

'Match Found' was in bold print, but it was the image which had him stopping as he gaped at it.

It was Jason, he had an arm around Raven's waist, Damian was beside Raven, there was a disheveled blond beside Jason, and behind them was a curly brunette and a kid he thought looked like Zatanna a bit.

"What the HELL!?" Dick gaped.

"Why Is Damian Not With The Titans, And WHY Is He With Jason?" Bruce grounded out.

"Uh… He went with Rae on a mission, I don't have details, I just know that they were chasing Red X, Red X might be Jason and that's it! I swear! I didn't know about this mission until the other day! I don't think the Assassins are even aware that Damian isn't with the Titans!" Dick said.

There was a blinking red light beside the image and Dick groaned when Bruce opened it, and it was an alert on active communication and movements on the League of Assassins.

"You were saying?" Bruce growled.

"Raven can keep him perfectly safe," Dick snapped back.

"And Jason's a Maniac traveling with my son!" Bruce shouted back. And Dick's eyes narrowed on Bruce dangerously.

"And Jason is also your son Bruce, you adopted him, remember?" Dick growled lowly. "And Raven would never do anything to endanger any child in her care! She's more than capable of keeping Damian safe, and come hell or high water she'll do everything in her power to do so. Now, I don't know why she and Jason are all cozy on that screen, but Raven doesn't get cozy with people so whatever you're thinking stop!"

"If anything happens to them…" Bruce warned.

"Don't even try it Bruce," Dick warned harshly. "You vouched for Rae, and Damian's not a fool. I have no idea who they're with, or what's going on with them, but don't you dare threaten me or Raven or the Titans, and you know the Titans are the best thing for Damian so don't even threaten to take him from that."

"You said you'd talk with him," Bruce snapped.

"And I will, now we gotta go, cause I'm betting this," he jabbed a finger at the image on the screen. "Has something to do with the missing jet and Victor's anger. Now let's get ready and go and maybe stop whatever is going on!"

Bruce hesitated for a moment but he hurried off to the locker area where the uniforms were. Dick pulled on his red uniform, rather than the blue and he grabbed a domino mask. Victor boomed in then.

"Holy shit," Victor muttered and Dick walked up to his friend.

"Yeah, you're shocked, imagine how Bruce and I are," he muttered.

"He's touching her! I swear to God if he's hurt her I'll kill him!" Victor snarled, and Dick frowned. He sometimes forgot how close Raven and Victor were, Vic often called Raven his sister, and Dick hadn't really thought anything of it. There was no reason to think about their relationship when it was a constant in the Tower.

"Where are they?" Bruce asked.

"Brighton is where the jet lost signal," Victor said. "Where's this image?"

"Ludgate Hill, security camera, in London," Dick answered.

"Explains why the kids went to England, someone, and I'm betting it was Tim since he's the only one aside from Oracle, Overwatch, and Bats with the skill to hack me, and got minimal info on what I gave you," Victor muttered.

"Great, this'll be fun!" Dick grinned. "I'm going to put them in a training session against a Star and Raven when this is over."

"I'm going to beat him to death with his own arm if he's messed with Raven," Vic growled as he glared at screen Jason. Dick was a bit surprised that Raven was letting Jason touch her and how close they were. Honestly, it was just… baffling. And how comfortable Damian looked on the image.

"I doubt he's done anything to her," Dick admitted.

"I still don't like it until I talk to Rae! Now can we go!?" Vic shouted.

"Where too?" Dick asked.

"London," Bruce announced now that he was dressed.

* * *

Kaldur had them on the beach.

"Well, that was fun, I don't have my armor," Cassie muttered.

"Ibroughtit!" Bart shouted. Jaime just sighed as he rubbed his brow and stared at the wreckage of the jet off the coast. They were so past being grounded. They were Dead. With a capital D! He should call his mom one last time and tell her that he loved her before Raven, Victor, Koriand'r, Garfield, and Dick's wraths all came crashing down on his head painfully.

"Sweet! The computer works! They're at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, think we can fly there?" Tim asked with a grin.

"Yes!" Jon shouted gleefully.

"Raven is so going to kill us," Jaime muttered.

"Comeon, you'renotseriouslystillworriedaboutthat! She'llbehappyforthehelp!" Bart grinned.

Yeah, he didn't know Raven really well if he was thinking that. Raven was den mother, Dick was mother hen, but Raven was den mother. She did not like help, she did not them interfering with her work, and she really didn't like them in danger. He remembered when his armor had accidentally fried Damian because the Scarab didn't like Damian's attitude and Raven's reaction time. She hadn't even been in the Tower, she'd been at the market with Cy, and she came in through the shadows. He'd been so scared, but after Raven had healed Damian she'd talked to him and calmed him down, and his armor. She was good like that. But a protective den mother all the same. And he was willing to bet that whatever she was up to was dangerous and she hadn't brought them for that very reason.

"Flying out get us there fastest if Raven should need our aid," Kaldur spoke calmly.

"This is stupid! We shouldn't help the Gem of Scath," Cassie muttered.

"You're helping or being left behind," Stephanie snapped.

"Comeon! Let'sgo!" Bart declared.

"Come on," Jaime offered his hands to Tim and Stephanie who took them and he launched into the air, Tim pointed and he followed the pointing as he flew over England.

This was a bad idea, he knew it, he knew that something bad was about to happen but he didn't know what as he flew at top speed, Jon trailing with Kaldur, and Bart with Cassie. They were going to be dead when Raven dealt with them.

"Hey, what's the flashing red light mean?" Jaime asked as they neared London and noticed Tim's computer blinking red.

"Uh… League of Assassins, there's a lot of movement here," Tim informed him.

"Great, we're dead," Jaime muttered. Still beat death by Terra any day of the week though.

"What's with the light show!?" Jon shouted.

"That's a lot of magic power," Cassie said.

"Head for the roof!" Tim and Stephanie shouted. Jaime dropped them off on a roof across the street as he landed.

"Guys, that's…" Cassie's eyes were wide and they looked down at the skinny dark dress dude walking into the church.

"Who?"

"Klarion," she whispered.

* * *

"Let me introduce myself, Klarion, a Lord of Chaos," the sharp, snickering voice said as he came too. He cracked an eye just to see Raven and Jason scattered on the ground, they'd held out longer than he expected as he saw them looking at the sickly-looking boy holding a cat.

"What are you after?" Raven asked as she got to her feet.

"Not much, Gem of Scath, I'm after your mind though!" Klarion announced with a cackle.

"Why?" she asked and Damian groaned as he tried to focus, he noticed Jason was on his feet and between Raven and Klarion.

"Well, humans are so foolish and I'm after a bit of fun! Aren't we having fun yet, Gem!?"

"I'd rather kiss Adonis," Raven muttered sourly. Jason laughed.

"That's rude!" Klarion shouted.

"No more rude than you blasting a House of God," Raven snapped.

"That, that's nothing but a bit of fun, and now we'll have some more. Teekl is hungry, and your friend there looks delicious," Klarion sneered.

"I don't taste good, I'm rather gamey," Jason replied. Damian wanted to shout at him now wasn't the time to be an idiot but a hand grabbed his and he looked over at Zed who was now awake.

"Why can't I move?" he muttered to her.

"Klarion's magic, he's caught us," she whispered.

"I'll fight you fair and square now Gem! Even with rules, your familiar vs mine, and you vs. me," Klarion said.

"And if I win?" Raven asked.

"I return the book of Azarath, with the Nevermore intact!"

"And if we lose?" Jason snarled.

"You'll be dead," Klarion cackled. Damian wanted shout at them not to do it but he watched in horror as Raven stepped back and held her head high.

"I accept," she and Jason said as Raven's magic wrapped around them and he saw her standing ther in her cloak and shadows, Jason was dressed as the Red Hood and armed to the teeth again.

"This is going to be so much fun! You're not like that cheater Nabu!" Klarion laughed manically and Damian watched as the cat landed on the ground and grew into a monster.

"Constantine?" Zed whispered.

"Working on it love, how's Z's cousin?"

"Breathing, but he's not moving," Damian answered in a hiss.

There was a sweep of shadows and Damian found himself laying on the road gasping for air.

"Raven!" he screamed as he scrambled to his feet and then he hit a barrier, his fists slammed the invisible force around the Cathedral.

"John!" Zed shouted.

"On it!" Constantine shouted as he pulled out things from his coat.


	18. Batshit Batty Bats in the Belfry

**Batshit Batty Bats in the Belfry…**

Raven looked at Jason as she got to her feet, the flames of the circle extinguished as she looked at Klarion, a being of pure Chaos.

"What are you after?" she asked carefully, Jason was up on his feet and he was staring at Constantine, Zed, Zachary, and Damian all suspended in the air, she pushed a wave of calm at him to keep his attention with the problem, not their companions. He looked at her and she nodded slightly to assure him that they would be fine.

"Not much, Gem of Scath, I'm after your mind though!" Klarion giggled as he stroked the feline in his arms.

"Why?" she asked, her sole attention on Klarion, not even Jason was her prime focus, as she deciphered Klarion's emotions.

"Well, humans are so foolish, and I'm after a bit of fun! Aren't we having fun yet, Gem!?"

"I'd rather kiss Adonis," she stated firmly. Jason burst into laughter then and she tilted her head up a bit.

"That's rude!" Klarion shouted.

"No more rude than you blasting a House of God," Raven remarked, she noticed Constantine and Damian were moving a bit, but they were bound. She'd have to get them out of here, Jason too.

"That, that's nothing but a bit of fun! And now we'll have some more," Klarion grinned mischievously and Raven looked at Jason who was eyeing the cat, he was tensed for a fight, Raven mentall stretched for his gear, he'd need it, and she had a feeling she'd need to be ready for a fight.

"Teekl is hungry, and your friend there looks delicious," Klarion announced.

"I don't taste good, I'm rather gamey," Jason replied with a smile. Klarion glared at Jason but gave her his attention again, and Raven whispered a quiet protection charm on their companions and Jason.

"I'll fight you fair and square Gem! Even with rules! Your familiar vs. mine, and you vs. me," Klarion preened and Raven looked at Jason. Jason slowly nodded his head, and she knew he understood the rules of the game they'd just walked into, life or death.

"And if I win?" Raven asked slowly as she turned her attention onto Klarion again.

"I return the book of Azarath, with the Nevermore intact!" he announced and she looked at Jason who nodded to her again.

"And if we lose?" Jason growled lowly.

"You'll be dead," Klarion chuckled and Raven felt a slash of momentary regret and fear through Jason before his fury took it's place.

"I accept," she said as Jason nodded. There was a surge of her powers, she let it wrap around them as she let her armor wrap around her and Jason's protect him, she used the shadows as she wrapped around the four others, whispering a barrier spell in the process to keep Klarion contained and stood before him.

Teekl leapt from Klarion's as the witch boy's cat grew into a monster, Raven took a steadying breath and she felt a burst of energy from Jason.

"Let the games begin Gem!" Klarion shouted, he let loose a spell at Jason as Teekl lunged for him.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos," she said calmly as her powers surged to life, she flew up, a shield wrapped around Jason as she transported him through the shadows to higher ground and she stared down at Klarion.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

"Red!" Raven shouted, and she had his attention as he perched on the railing. "Teekl is Klarion's anchor to this plane of existence, no Teekl, no Klarion."

"So I can kill it, little bird?" he asked.

"Try," she suggested and Jason's vicious glee hit her in full force as she looked over to Klarion. The witch boy again threw a spell at her and Raven wrapped herself up in shadows as she flew down to him, the Lord of Chaos cackling as he fired at her wildly. She surged up in the shadows as she let her rage show, her four eyes glowing.

"Your brothers' said you were powerful! I just want to know how much," he cackled as he blasted curses. Raven swiped her hand as she snarled, three voices speaking then.

"My Brothers Know Nothing Of My Power," she spat out as she lashed out her own curses, Klarion moved then, and he cackled, she snarled.

"Yeah! It's Fun!" Klarion giggled as slammed his foot down and created a massive pentagram, she snarled as she melted back into the shadows as she dove for him, he blasted a bunch of light in his curse but Raven didn't falter as she slammed into him and materialized on her feet, she flicked her hand as she extinguished the flame.

"No Fair!" Klarion pouted.

"Witch Boy," she growled, he blasted another curse at her, Raven let the shadows swallow her as she moved to be behind him, her powers wrapping around him and drawing him up to her eyes, he smiled smugly.

"You are powerful, Gem, but I'm better!" he shouted and blasted a curse for her eyes, she dropped him as she dropped from the shadows, her cloaks hood falling back as her hair fluttered around her and she glared at Klarion.

"Your brothers don't give you enough credit, I was not expecting this fight," he giggled. Raven stood then and held her head high as she kept every emotion she had carefully in check.

"I have a lot of brothers, you'll have to be more specific," Raven informed him coldly as she kept her empathy focused, she hadn't unleashed her full power and she didn't want to do that. It would not end well for Jason who was a casualty she had to consider as she heard gunfire behind her.

"Well, Gem, you're Pride too," he cackled.

"Mmm, so you are speaking to _**those**_ brothers," she hummed tonelessly.

"And Pride is such a Deadly Sin," he cackled.

"So I'm told," she said calmly and then she wrapped the shadows around her again as she flew for him.

* * *

Jason had never been so happy to hear the word 'try' in his life as he leapt up, he pulled his gun as he fired at the cat's head, the feline hissed, the monster leapt for him and Jason hit the ground in a roll as he surged up to his feet firing his weapon as he ran for cover. He ducked behind a pillar as he holster his guns and pulled a sword from his back and silently thanked little bird for sparing no expense in giving him his armory. She'd even given him every gun and amo pack he'd need, and C-4 ready bombs in need of detonating.

He swore to God he loved that woman for that!

He stepped out from behind the pillar as the cat growled and then came lunging at him which had him slashing at the out stretched jaws, the cat leapt back with a furious yowl as blood appeared on it and Jason smirked.

"Here kitty-kitty," he taunted. The cat snarled as it's tail lashed out in fury and it moved, the thing was fast, he'd give it that, but Jason was relentless as he leapt up using it's head as a spring board then sliding the blade in deep near the spine. The cat screamed as it shook him off, but Jason was already up to the upper level as he pulled a dagger and threw it, catching the railing and pulled himself up.

The cat came leaping after him, and Jason pulled the other sword as he ran into a smaller area to trap the cat. He slid under something, and cried out in startled pain when sharp claws shredded his arm, and he got to his feet, the feline hissed menacingly, he snarled in return as he went at it then, the beast slung a paw of claws at him, he leapt over, narrowly twisting out of the way as a stone column was smashed and he managed to slice the cat's ear.

The roar shook the rafters and he was stumbling off his perch. Free falling, he twisted up as he pulled a grappling gun he had and saved himself as he landed on the ground and waited. The cat came down with a heavy thud and Jason pulled the retractor on his hook as he soared upwards. Landing lightly, he did a quick assess of his mangled arm, nothing he couldn't work around and the cat growled as it started chasing him up.

Well, now was as good as any, he thought dryly as he pulled out the C-4 charges he had in his pockets, and started running up top to place them.

This sin was totally going to land him in Hell if he survived it.

Arming the charges, the cat was almost on him when he leapt off the level and fell, the cat hissed and then there was a monumental _**BOOM**_ as a force threw him down faster, Jason caught a railing barely as he pulled himself up.

* * *

Victor walked out of the Boom tube just as the dome on the cathedral collapsed and he gapped.

"Raven!" Damian shouted.

"John!" a curly haired woman shouted.

"No use love, this barrier was set up by the Gem of Scath herself, until she's finished whatever's going on or is killed it's not going anywhere, maybe Dr. Fate would have the power to eliminate this barrier but I don't," a rumpled blond snapped.

"What's going on?" Victor demanded, and Damian looked at him with large eyes, Dick and Bruce were a step behind them.

"A Lord of Chaos just challenged the bloody Gem of Scath to a fight she can't win, and Red stayed as her familiar," the blond snapped.

"Raven's in there!?" Victor snapped.

"Yes! And so is Red!" the woman shouted.

"I can get us in there," Victor snapped as he pulled up the coordinates for St. Paul's Cathedral exactly.

"Dude! Raven's soul self!" a voice shouted and Victor glanced over at the new voice as the wayward kids he'd been chasing appeared, and he looked up just as Raven's raven flew up, staining the dark sky in eerie black light as it dove down, there was explosions then.

"Vic get us in there!" Dick snapped.

"I'm working on it, coordinating her magic into this isn't easy either!" Victor snapped. "And I can only take three, and me."

"I'm going," Dick said.

"I'm going in there too mate, no telling what we'll find," the blond announced. There was more gun fire.

"One more, now or never," Victor said.

"I'll go!" Damian shouted frantically and Victor looked down on the kid who wasn't even armed.

"No, you will be staying here, I will go," Bruce said firmly.

"But father!" Damian protested.

"Too dangerous kid, 'sides, the Gem and Red are going to be fine," the blond spoke and the curly hair woman was down beside Damian then.

"Trust Constantine, he might not look it but he'll handle it," she informed Damian.

"Better hurry, that's a lot of magic going into one place," the tall black haired teen spoke.

"Now or never," Constantine shouted.

"I've got the coordinates! I'm booming us in high," Cy announced and he finally opened the boom tube and he hoped to God that this would be enough to get them around Raven's magic, because if she truly did not want anyone in there with her, no one would be getting in there.

"You sure this will work?" the blond, Constantine asked as they stood there.

"No, but get in the fucking tube, man," Victor snapped and the Bats ran in, Dick and Bruce didn't hesitate, Constantine walked in and Victor ran in then as he felt it close, and he just hoped that this was enough. The opening ripped through reality with a boom and he was free falling.

"Holy Fuck!" he shouted at the sight of a cat larger than most elephants.

There was a surge of black then.

* * *

Raven's breath shuddered as she stood there, her power shielding them against Klarion's rage as Jason caught his breath.

"Fuck," he groaned.

"How badly did you hurt Teekl?" Raven shouted, a fine layer of sweat forming as she pushed all her focus on the shield.

"Fucking cat would be dead," he snapped as he stood beside her.

"Good," she growled as she then released her Rage, the four eyes glowing as she released a surge of black at them. Klarion screamed, Raven wrapped the shadows around her and Jason as she moved him out of the way, landing she grabbed his arm and looked at it.

"I'm fine," he snapped as he jerked away from her. "Get rid of that thing!" he pointed.

"Stay here, and no matter what happens to me, do not move I've placed a protective spell on you," she whispered as she flew out of the shadows then and surged up, her soul flaring as Klarion screamed about it nor being fair, she came smashing down on him with all her force, the shadows wrapping around him as she drowned his senses in darkness.

"No fair!" he screamed, there was a blast of magic, Raven rolled in pain, feeling her side bleeding but still got up, suddenly there were gun shots, and she noticed Jason; who had blatantly disregarded her orders, and Teekl snarled at the bullets powdering it's flank.

"Red!" she screamed, the cat lunged for him and then she flew only to get hit again, she turned her attention on Klarion.

"We're not finished yet Gem!" Klarion shouted childishly, his form flickering and she knew Teekl's strength was sapping. She let out a flare of Darkness and dove for him, there was a boom overhead and Raven hit Klarion then.

"We're through," she snarled as she released every ounce of pain she'd accumulated over her years, Klarion screamed but she didn't let go even as her emotions flooded her shield hitting everyone at full force and shattered what remained of the cathedral. Klarion was screaming, but Raven didn't release him as she bared her teeth and kept the flood of everything as she poured it into him.

"I'm an empath," she whispered.

" _ **CHEATER! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!**_ " Klarion screamed.

"Bet my brothers forgot to mention this part of my powers," she hissed lowly and then she saw the glowing power. Her eyes widened, and she flew off Klarion as she wrapped her shadows around Jason.

" _ **I WILL NOT LOSE!**_ " Klarion shouted and the hit of magic just as she grabbed Jason tossed her off balanced as the magic hit her shields at full force and she gasped at the pain as she felt her shoulder stabbed, Jason rolled on the ground and Raven winced as she rolled over.

" _ **This isn't over Gem!**_ " Klarion snarled lowly and she saw his familiar limp to him as he disappeared. The world wavered then, she heard a voice shouting for her but it was too distant for her to focus as she passed out.

* * *

Dick remembered how he'd almost been killed when that shockwave of pain had hit him and he'd landed clumsily, spraining his ankle as he tried to get his bearings only to be knocked off his feet as a blast of energy had him flying and the cathedral crumbling.

Now he was up and looking at the rubble.

"Raven!" he shouted.

The blond was up and already moving through the rubble. Dick followed as the other man used magic to move rocks, suddenly the kids were all there and helping.

"Raven!" Damian shouted as he took a high perch. "Nightwing did you see Raven!?"

"No yet, baby bird," he replied as he moved slowly through the rubble.

"Red! Raven!" Damian shouted. Jaime moved rubble aside and Dick moved with Victor as they systematically pulled the rubble apart.

"I've got them!" the curly haired woman shouted then, Dick scrambled that way, leaping over the rubble as he struggled to get there. Raven was sprawled over the chest of a man, and Dick moved to remove the broken helmet when there was a low grown and the man moved, one arm of his was shredded, and the other wrapped around Raven.

"What the hell?" he groaned.

"Red, you idiot!" the woman shouted, and Damian appeared at his side.

"Sorry Zed," the man 'Red' muttered, he didn't sound like Jason. "We win?"

"In a manner of speaking," the blond announced.

"Hey Constantine," the man greeted.

"You're a bloody nutter! Do you ever think!?" the blond was shouting. "Zed, get the house, I'm sure some of these tossers will help me move this wanker, and the Gem."

"How's little bird?" Red muttered.

"Well, if you let her go, I'll check," the blond snapped.

"Thanks Constantine, owe ya," Red muttered, never removing his arm from around Raven.

"Bloody hell wanker," the blond muttered. Dick just stared as a house materialized and the door opened.

"Zatara, you good on magic?" the blond shouted.

"Yeah," the black haired boy said.

"Good, think you could… repair this, when the Gem wakes I'll have her return the décor," the blond said.

"Sure."

"You saw the house come from nowhere right?" Victor whispered to him.

"Yeah," Dick muttered back.

"Great, now who are you lot?" the blond snapped standing over Red and Raven, Damian hopped over to them and touched Raven's pulse, Red never let her go.

"They're my team," Damian answered.

"Fan-fucking-tastic, everyone get in the bloody house, we'll have this mess sorted out," the blond snapped.

"I got Raven," Cyborg said as he reached over and carefully peeled the man's arm from her as he picked her up.

"I've got Red," the curly haired woman said.

"I'll help," Dick said as he carefully touched the shredded arm and lifted the man with the brunette. The man was huge! Dick was a large man, but this guy was massive, he leaned heavily on him.

"Fucking Red, I'll kill you if you die on me," the woman muttered.

"You know him?" Dick asked.

"Yeah, he's like a pain in the ass kid brother, come on, we'll put him in a room, Black Orchid will look him over," she said.

"Nightwing," he introduced.

"Zed," she answered. "And you've got to lay off the pizza Red," she muttered.

There was a tired groan from the man.

* * *

Bruce walked into the house hesitantly, he'd seen Dick help the woman with the Red Hood into the house and he couldn't take his eyes off them. Now he looked down at Damian who was standing stiffly in the group of kids gawking at the house.

"Alright, thanks for your help repairing that," the blond said as he walked in with the unknown teen.

"Yeah, it's easy when their inanimate," the boy said.

"Good evening," a serine voice said as a figure appeared.

"Oi! I told you not to do that," the blond snapped. Bruce looked at the humanoid woman who softened.

"I apologize, shall I prepare rooms for our guests," she asked.

"Hold that thought," the blond said and turned to him. Bruce didn't recognize the man, but there was something about the distasteful glare the man was shooting him which had him bristling.

"Bruce Wayne, right?" he asked.

Bruce's eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry, I'm not a foe, nor do I particularly care about who you are or what it is you do. I don't live in that world so you're secret is safe with me. John Constantine, exorcist and demonologist," the man said.

"Where's Red and Raven?" Damian asked suddenly.

"Black Orchid will escort you to their rooms in a moment kid, Zed is checking Red over, and the Gen's in the care of that large friend, give them a second. Now, I need the rest your names," Constantine turned to the kids who were now looking at him. "Real names. Or I start asking the Gem and her friend about you and she'll tell me. And we'll be calling your cousin so she doesn't worry."

"Yeah," the black haired teen muttered sourly.

"Why?" Jaime asked. "I mean why do we need to tell you our real names?"

"This is the House of Mystery, and if it cannot decide if you're friend or foe it might just toss you in one of the many rooms we have which will have you lost for all of eternity. Names."

"I'm Jaime, that's Bart, he's Kaldur, that's Cassandra," Jaime filled in. "Oh, and he's Jon."

"I'm Tim," Tim said.

"And I'm Stephanie," Stephanie introduced brightly.

"Zachary," the boy muttered.

"I see, Black Orchid, check on the Gem and Red after you've helped settle our guests," Constantine said.

"Of course, this way children."

"Can I see Raven and Red now?" Damian asked.

"In a moment, I'm going to check on them, and if Zed says alright you can see Red," Constantine said.

"And Raven?"

"I need to check on the Gem," Constantine said.

"Fine," Damian muttered.

"Don't worry kid, your room is by theirs," Constantine said as he walked off and Bruce looked at his youngest, who was frowning and glaring expectantly at him.

"What were you thinking Damian?" Bruce demanded as he pulled back his cowl and stared down at his son who defiantly glared back.

"That I am underutilized and Raven needed back up when dealing with a dangerous criminal who stole something of hers'," he snapped and Bruce loomed over his son.

"That was reckless, and irresponsible, and you should have told us you were doing that, the League of Assassins is now chasing you," Bruce informed his youngest. Damian wavered for a moment before he glared furiously back.

"Raven trusts me! She trusts my judgement and I was never in any danger!" Damian snapped. "I am not a child! I am Robin, and I am just as capable as Nightwing or you! You just don't trust me!" Damian shouted.

"It's not about trust Damian!" Bruce shouted back.

"Then why don't you let me do anything!" Damian shouted.

"Because I might know what's best for you and to keep you safe! Damnit Damian you're my son!" Bruce snarled in frustration.

"I am more than capable of keeping myself safe!" Damian countered.

" _ **OUT!**_ " there was a roar which had him and Damian looking up the stairs and Bruce scaled them with Damian running ahead of him. The sight which greeted him had Bruce's heart stopping as time slowed, there was a young man, he was bleeding, he was snarling and his eyes were brilliant green and furious, but as that stubborn flop of white bangs fell in his eyes Bruce recognized that face. Jason. It was really him! Jason, Bruce stepped toward his son as Jason threw a pillow at Dick.

"Calm down Jay!"

" _ **Get The Fuck Out Dickhead!**_ "

"Jason! you need to hold still!" the woman shouted.

" _ **OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE! HIM TOO!? ISN'T IT BAD ENOUGH I HAVE TO SEE DICKHEAD!?**_ " the man roared and Bruce's heart stopped.

"Out!" the woman finally shouted and shoved them all out, Damian ducked under her and the door was slammed in his and Dick's face then.

"Well, it's Jason," Dick muttered and Bruce just stood there dumbfounded.

"Ah, I hear Red's awake, come with me, I'll show you your rooms, this wing is for family only and you're not," Constantine said as he walked and Bruce was startled at the materialization of the pink humanoid woman who stood there and reluctantly Bruce found himself following Constantine with Dick beside him.

"You know who that is?" Dick asked.

"Of course, that'd be the only tosser I know who's mad enough to take on a demon with no magical arsenal and travel with the Gem of Scath," Constantine said.

"But…" Dick started.

"Oh, do you mean do I know that's Jason Todd? Yes, and he's family so I'll warn you once, he's got free range of my home, but you do not, do not bother him," Constantine warned lowly.

* * *

"No smoking," Zed said as she plucked the cigarette he'd pulled out and was about to light away from him.

"Come on!" he protested.

"Those will kill you," a small voice stated haughtily and he looked over to the demon spawn.

"Did the who death thing, might as well go how I want the second time," Jason grumbled as the kid crawled onto his bed and Zed was examining his arm.

"I'll have Black Orchid do what she can for the arm."

"Who now?" Jason blinked.

"Hello," a serine voice had his head snapping over as he looked at a fairy like woman, pinkish-purple with darker stripes, and she was… naked? She walked over to him.

"Where'd Constantine get this one?" he asked.

"This is the house's magic, the House decided it wanted to expierence things and gave itself a body, hey Orchid," Zed greeted.

"Zed, did you know there is a demon in the house?" the pink fairy thing asked.

"Yeah, the Gem of Scath, she's a guest, can you check Jason's arm over, I'll show Damian to his room," Zed said.

"Of course, I've settled all the other children," Black Orchid said.

"Thank you," Zed smiled. "Kay kid, come on, you're room is just down the hall," Zed said and Damian frowned.

"Go," Jason ordered, he wanted to shain smoke what was left of his pack, then swipe Constantine's and smoke that. He was also done with Bats for the time being after the ambush of Bruce and Dick. Damian reluctantly followed Zed and Zed asked him what he liked to do.

"So much pain, they do care about you though," the newcomer said softly as she lifted his arm.

Jason snorted as he grabbed the cigarette and lit it.

"You are more stubborn than Constantine," she murmured.

"I beat death, I'm stubborn, now, can you tell me where Raven is and how she's doing?" Jason asked as Black Orchid worked over his arm.

"She's across the hall, she's… unconscious, she drained a lot of her magic and took a direct curse from Klarion, and she has a wound on her side," Black Orchid said.

"Thanks," he muttered as she finished with his arm and wrapped it up in a bandage.

"Of course, the master of the house is fond of you, and Zed adores you, Chad has even spoken of you. It is a pleasure to truly meet you, Jason Todd," she smiled a bit.

"Just Jason, Constantine still keep the hard stuff in his study?"

"Yes."

"Thanks," he smiled slightly and then she was gone. Groaning he fell back on the bed which was his when he stayed with Constantine and took a deep breath before he was up, neglecting to pull on a shirt as he walked across the hall to where Raven was.

The first thing Jason saw when he walked into the room was Raven, levitating, and a gold bubble wrapped around her. For what felt like an eternity he just stared at her, baffled at seeing her so… weak, even levitating there she looked weak, and he'd never seen that. Her ashen skin was far paler than what it had been when she'd passed out, and the crimson bandages on her side had his eyes narrowing. She should not be like this. Sunshine was an unbelievably strong woman, even for as small as she was, she wasn't weak.

"Who are you?" a voice snapped him out of his stuper and he looked over at the large cyborg, he knew this man and had even fought him. This was the man who guarded Raven in fights most the time, he and Raven were always at the back of the fight.

"Jason," he answered. "And you're Cyborg, or Victor Stone. You and sunshine close?" he asked.

"Dude, she's like my little sister."

"Ah, so you're the reason the Bat brat came with her," he smirked.

"And you're Red X," Victor surmised.

"And Red Hood, but I'm sure you know that already," Jason said.

"Rae must trust you," Victor muttered.

"And why do you say that?"

"Because whenever she's weak or in a comatos state her magic protects her, I've seen her pitch hospital staff through walls, and she's completely oblivious to it."

"Mmm," he hummed. "Reading?"

"Constantine gave me books on demons, might help understand Raven and her biology a bit."

"Happy reading, I'll visit her later," Jason said and he stuffed his hands in his pockets as he left the room and slowly made his way to the kitchen. He was hurting, his arm was killing him, and he knew there were no pain med here because Constantine never used normal meds, which had Jason debating the herbal tea which would numb him or the drinks which would numb him.

He settled on the tea since he could feel the Pit coursing a bit too close to the surface and didn't want to test alcohol and a Pit rage.

"She'll be fine," Constantine announced. "Probably."

"I wasn't worried," he lied as he made a kettle and set it on the stove; a normal stove in the House of Mystery, he thanked Zed for this since he was pretty sure it would never cross Constantine's mind to get a stove, or a normal kitchen.

"The Pit bothering you again?"

"Nothing I can't handle," he said coldly as he looked at Constantine.

"Well, the Bats are here," he stated.

"I don't want to talk about this," Jason grounded out.

"Too bad, because eventually you'll have to talk to your family; you are Bruce's son and you have all those brothers. They miss you kid, and you're grounded here until your arm's healed and the Gem is awake," Constantine said.

"Raven, her name is Raven, not the Gem of Scath or anything else," he snapped finally. "And why _**the Fuck**_ would I want to deal with Bruce or any of them? I've handled Damian fine because the kid doesn't know, but once Dick, and Tim, and Bruce talk to him he'll be a Bat and on their side again. I don't want or need them, and they don't fucking want me. There's nothing to deal with. They go their way I go mine.

"At least with Willis I knew I didn't mean shit, Bruce made me think that just maybe I could have a fucking family, but no. I don't have to deal with them Constantine because they aren't my family. And after this shit storm is over, and I'm leaving. I am not dealing with brothers, or a father who doesn't want me. The Bats are not my fucking family. _**I'm No One's Son**_." Jason snapped.

"You're my brother?" Damian was standing in the door then and Jason froze. The kid looked at him with wide eyes. Then the kid was gone before he could stop him.

"Fuck! Can you drop me off… anywhere, but here?" Jason asked.

"You're here until that arm is healed, and the Gem, sorry, Raven, is awake." Constantine stated firmly.

"Fuck," Jason hissed and pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

He was going to go hide out in the room that was his for the duration of his time here. He didn't need to deal with Bats.


	19. Parenting 1·O·1

**Parenting 1·O·1**

In the grand scheme of things Dick wondered how it always came to this, as he sat in the room Constantine had given him, and found himself looking at a confused, and trembling Damian who stared at him with wide expectant eyes.

"Grayson?" Damian asked and Dick winced, this was going to be one of 'those' talks where nothing said would be the right thing to say. Wasn't this supposed to be Bruce's job to have these conversations?

"Yeah little D?" he asked as the kid walked in cautiously.

"Jason just said he was father's son, but he wasn't, and that he was family, but wasn't," Damian said and Dick sighed.

"Come here," Dick ordered and the kid reluctantly walked up to him and Dick patted the bed, Damian crawled on and Dick couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten Damian to do anything this easily. "First, what do you know about your travel companion? The one they call Red."

"Red X, or Red Hood, his name is Jason, he is familiar with the skills of hacking, weapons, explosives, and clearly has extensive knowledge in hand to hand combat; I think he might be a League of Assassins member, he fights like grandfather sometimes, and mother. He is ambidextrous, I've seen him use his right and left as dominates depending on the situation. He is literate, and has extensive expertise in mechanics, he restored a 'classic' he said and him and Raven talk books. He is also a cook," Damian filled in and Dick just blinked.

Well, it sounded like Jason, but it was just startling to hear it from Damian, stated like a report on observations he had.

"Anything else?"

"He and Raven sleep together, no intercourse, and he's versed in what tampons are for, even told me and told me I was to ask you about the rest of the information he refused to elaborate on," Damian said.

Dick fell back laughing at that. Oh God! Jason talking to Damian about tampons, periods and women, it was such an amusing idea, but Dick saw how serious Damian was as he sat there scowling.

"Oh God, we are going to have that talk, Damian, just… when you were older," Dick wheezed out as he sat up.

"He said tampons tie to women having babies, I do not see how, but I was told to ask you for clarification," Damian stated primly.

"We will have that talk later," Dick assured him. "First off, that man is Jason Todd, Robin II, my younger brother, and your older brother."

"So then how is he not father's son?" Damian asked.

"He's adopted," Dick said. Damian pulled a slight face but Dick kept a hard glare on the kid; they were still working on Damian's entitlement and blood status views, and Dick felt they had made good progress. Especially since they had only had the kid for a little while, Talia had royally fucked him up, and Dick felt it was going to take a lot longer to straighten out the kinks with Damian. Raven was making a lot of leeway on Damian's blood views, especially when she would cuff him up the back of the head or grab his ear for some of his insults. Raven was a great help in breaking through to Damian sometimes.

"Then how is he not father's son?" Damian asked again, and Dick smirked at the minute progress.

"First off, understand this about Jason, he's from Crime Alley, he grew up fast, and hard, and unwanted by his father, then his mother died, and Bruce adopted him at a shitty time, I was a complete ass to him, and Bruce didn't know how to handle a kid like Jason. Jason… Jason was a handful, good heart but a handful. He was brutally murdered by the Joker, and showed up about three years ago as the Red Hood, where Bruce let him down through a choice Damian, an impossible choice Jason forced on him, I don't agree with Bruce's choice, at all, but it's very possible that choice made Jason feel he didn't have a family," Dick said.

"What did Jason make father do?" it did not slip Dick's notice that Damian had called Jason 'Jason' rather than Todd upon knowing his full name. Dick smiled a bit, so the kid was attached to Jason, getting attached to Raven was easy, everyone loved Raven once they got to know her and Damian had formed a tight bond with Raven. But hearing Damian call Jason 'Jason' rather than Todd made him think that he had also bonded to Jason.

"Jason made him pick, it was him or the Joker, and Bruce picked the Joker to try to save Jason from himself, Jason blew up the building and Bruce thought he was dead, again."

"Why would father pick the Joker?" Damian asked then.

"I don't know, I wasn't there, I was with Tim and the Titans at the time, I wasn't there for the Red Hood mess," Dick admitted, and it was a hell of a mess. "But I'm betting to Jason, after having been discarded by everyone he's ever tried to rely on as a kid, it just slammed a door in his face that said he wasn't family, so he's been off being… whatever it is he does, until Raven found him."

"Raven is good for Jason," Damian stated and Dick chuckled.

"Raven's good for everyone," he said.

"Why did father not bring him home?"

"Because I thought he was dead," Bruce answered and Dick looked up to Bruce as Damian sat on his bed and glared at Bruce then. No doubt they'd had another fight with how Damian was glaring at Bruce, but Dick would find out what about later. This was part of being a brother/parent figure to his younger brothers. Bruce wasn't always the best father, he tried, but everyone was bound to screw up and Dick spent a lot of time helping Bruce unscrew up whatever was bungled up.

"He is alive," Damian snapped.

"I know that now," Bruce said as he hesitantly walked in and Dick nodded at him to sit on the bed. Bruce did so. "And if I had known he was alive Damian I'd have dragged him back home, and if I could do that day over again I'd drag him out of that building."

"Why did you not just pick him, father?" Damian asked in a hard tone.

"Because he asked me to kill, and I will never cross that line, but I'd do anything to have a do over that day and bring him home," Bruce admitted and Dick watched Damian closely.

Family was new to Damian, and Dick found that family was a lot more like what was portrayed _Christmas Vacation_ than in any other movie. Family was messy, it was a bunch of people who were different, who were connected, and who tried to be there for each other and sometimes they royally messed up in the attempts to do things for others in said family. They tried their hardest, and sometimes life just didn't want to work out for them.

At least his family was better than the Arrow Clan.

"Families are supposed to be there for one another," Damian said sharply. "You said so."

"I know, Damian, I know, and I've messed things up with Jason," Bruce said. "But I want to fix things with him."

"Damian, families are complicated, like you and Tim, we're not perfect, we mess up, but now that we know he's alive we're… we're going to try to bring him home again," Dick said. Damian just frowned. "We don't love him any less, and we miss him."

"Yes," Bruce agreed.

"Do you love him more?" Damian asked.

"Damian, I love all my children equally," Bruce said.

"How can you say that!?" Damian demanded. "You picked the Joker! Would you pick the Joker if it were me?"

"Damian, I will never make that mistake again, with any of my sons," Bruce stated firmly. Dick was a bit proud about this, but Damian didn't look completely convinced. Right about now was a good time to have Alfred assure Damian, but Alfred wasn't here, and Raven was… Raven was injured.

"Damian, you don't have to believe us, we're just going to have to show you," Dick said. "And we'll show Jason too. It won't be easy, and we'll make mistakes, but families aren't perfect. We're figuring this out though, and we'll keep at it. And when you're a big brother you'll get to show your baby brother or sister how families work."

"I'm not a big brother," Damian hissed.

Dick sighed, oh, that talk was going to be fun but it was for a later date, he just needed Damian to have an open mind.

"Not yet, but you could be one day, and you'll know all about how families work by then," Dick pointed out. in about seven or six months Damian would have to suck it up and accept being a brother. Damian just stood then.

"I'm going to check on Raven, or do I need permission for that too, father?" Damian asked coldly.

"Go check on Raven," Bruce sighed and Damian stalked out. Dick sighed.

"Well, that could have gone better," Dick muttered as he rubbed his face. "And what did you say to him to make him say that!?"

"I don't know, I was talking to him about his reckless, and irresponsible behavior for running off without a plan or back up, with Raven," Bruce said as he pinched the bridge of his nose and Dick groaned.

"Not the way to tackle that one," he muttered.

"And what would you have done?" Bruce snapped.

"Well first, praise him for watching Raven's back because Damian has a difficulty in understanding the way teams work and that he should watch her back. Second remind him that running off and telling no one isn't wise. And then scold him for not having a plan, but then thank him again for trying o work in a team. Always scolding him is just going to turn him into an angrier version of what he is, and when he hits puberty, God help us!" Dick stated.

Bruce seemed to be pondering this and Dick stood then as he looked at the cloths the House had left him.

"We should talk to him about Selina," Bruce muttered.

"Not the time," Dick hissed as he walked into a bathroom and started changing.

"And when is the time?" Bruce asked.

"First off, we're not springing it on him without having talked to him and assuring him that we love him, second, I really want Raven's support here because Damian might need to hear it from an outsider, and third, we are not talking to him about being a big brother until after we've sorted out the Jason mess with him. Selina's pregnancy, is important, but we've got time on that for a bit. The immediate issues need to be deal with now, the rest can be dealt with in time," Dick said firmly as he walked out of the bathroom in the dress shirt and slacks, they were a bit loose on him, but they worked.

"And how are we to talk to Jason when he doesn't want to talk to us?" Bruce asked.

"Carefully," Dick muttered. "I'm going to check on Raven, then her team, and make sure that they haven't destroyed the House of Mystery. You're going to talk to Tim about Selina, and Stephanie, because she is a part of this family too Bruce."

Dick left his foster father and slowly navigated the House of Mystery when he found himself in a living area with the woman Zed, she was furiously sketching away.

"Crap," he muttered.

"Hmm?" she looked up and now Dick noticed how much older she was, early thirties or late twenties, and he had perceived her to be about his age or Jason's.

"I think I'm lost," he admitted.

"I doubt it, the house takes you to where you need to go," she smiled.

"And why would I need to be talking to you?"

"Well, I don't know, but this is my living area," she smiled a bit.

"Yours?"

"Well, not mine per-say, but this is sort of the area I've claimed and where I come when I want to escape Constantine," she said as she set aside her sketch pad.

"You and Constantine, you're close?"

"Yeah," she said.

"You said Jason was like a little brother to you, how'd you meet him?" Dick asked as he took advantage of being her and sat.

"Ah, well, that's all Constantine..." she started.

* * *

Damian found Raven's room, it was so close to his own assigned room he was a bit surprised to have found it. Hesitantly he walked in, she was floating, wrapped up in a gold bubble. Jason was there, Stone wasn't.

"Is she going to be alright?" Damian asked softly which had Jason's eyes snapping open from where he was sitting.

"Constantine said probably, says she's used up a lot of magic, and energy in the past four days, and she's injured, and she's pouring what magic she's got left in protecting her body; apparently, her magic would have blasted Constantine had he not been giving her a healing charm for help and protection, and what's left of her magic is probably flowing into that book to protect it," Jason answered.

Damian nodded and looked back at Jason.

It was the first time he was really looking at the man since he wasn't wearing a shirt, but his torso was littered in scars. He wondered what had caused them since father and Pennyworth worked on keeping scars minimal, and Jason was just riddled with them.

"What is it, kid?"

"Does Raven know?" he asked.

"You're going to have to be specific, sunshine knows a lot," Jason sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

"That you are my brother."

"I'm not, and yes, she knows exactly who I am," Jason said as he stood and Damian stared up at the massive man in a new light. Of course he'd seen the photos of Jason Todd, father did not have many, but what few he did have Pennyworth kept safe, and this giant looked nothing like the scrawny kid in the photos.

"Father said you're his son, and Grayson told me blood doesn't make family," Damian stated.

"Look, kid, I'm not your brother, just like I'm not a Bat or Bruce's kid, I'm only here right now because Constantine enchanted this fucking house to keep me in it until I'm healed and little bird wakes, after that I help her finish retrieving the fucking book, fix my reputation and am gone," Jason snapped sharply.

"You could come home," Damian pointed out.

Jason barked out a harsh laugh as his head fell back.

"I don't have a home, kid, never did," Jason snarled as he stalked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Damian blinked and then looked at Raven's floating form.

'Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in' -Robert Frost

And after having read those words and being dumped on his father and brothers, Damian was coming to believe those words fully. He would bring Jason home, it would please his father and Grayson to have him back, and Damian would admit, in the privacy of his own mind, Jason wasn't so bad.

He sat in a chair beside Raven then and stared at her for a long moment, unsure if he should demand to know why she hadn't told him about Jason, or if he should just keep her company. He'd read that comatose patients knew when they had company and were there, even if they weren't conscious. Picking up one of the books he started flipping through it and found it to be in a language he couldn't even read.

"That's stupid, how is anyone supposed to read this?" Damian muttered. And there was a twitch of Raven's fingers at his voice.

"Are you waking up?" he demanded.

No response.

"You cannot leave me with these imbeciles!" Her fingers twitched again but she never woke, and she never landed on the bed. He wondered why she was floating. Damian had never seen Raven injured, exhausted, yes, but he'd never seen her injured. It was a bit weird and out of place for her to be injured.

* * *

Bruce found Tim and Stephanie talking with Black Orchid and all the other kids were there, so he just let them be as he now wandered the halls of this house. It was lived in, cluttered, a bit like a museum, and very used. He found it to be very different from his own home.

"Don't touch anything," a sharp voice ordered as Bruce was reading the titles on the shelves which lined the house; the entire house that he had seen, was lined with books, even the bed rooms were lined with shelves of books and items of various appearances.

"This is Egyptian," he said gesturing to the artifact.

"Yeah, used in purifying rituals," Constantine said.

"You know my son," Bruce said.

"Known him for a few years now, good kid, definitely the most stubborn soul I've ever met," Constantine said.

"You said he was family," Bruce said and Constantine plopped down in a chair as he summoned a drink.

"He is," Constantine answered. "Kid's a stubborn fool who's no better at keeping his nose out of business which is unrelated to him than you are."

"And how did you meet him?"

"He saved my life, I was in Gotham, tracking a nasty glutton demon, and the kid there saved my arse, was injured, brought him home, Zed adopted him," Constantine shrugged. "I find him to be good company, and he's allergic to death and with everyone who I know dropping like flies that's a good quality to have in a friend."

"And you never thought to contact his family as to him being alive?" Bruce asked dryly.

"Actually, you were the first call I was about to make when he just about dove into the abyss at the thought of me calling you. What sort of son would rather face the possibility of an eternity lost in the abyss than face his own father? I had a look in that head of his when Chad knocked his injured arse out and found out all about that. And after Jason came too I assured him that you'd never hear about him through me.

"Kid was pissed enough and scared enough to risk eternal damnation than face you. It's concerning," Constaine said as he sipped his alcohol. Bruce's eyes narrowed on him.

"And you were keeping his secret out of the goodness of your heart?" Bruce asked dryly. A man like Constantine was not a man he saw doing things out of the goodness of his heart. The man was proving to be anti-social, and abrasive.

"Actually yes, that kid needs someone in his corner, Zed, Chad and I have decided to be in that corner should he ever need it. You're in the home of rejects and lost things here, Bruce, and your son fits right in, even though he's not a magically inclined kid. Gotta admit though, he's got the potential, spiritual power is there should he ever pursue the magical arts. Kid is a bloody priest in a different life," Constantine chuckled.

"Really?"

"Oh, bet you didn't know, you're son is of the few to have traveled the multiverse, I even met him as a priest, strong man, just as stubborn as this Jason," Constantine chuckled.

"You kept my son from me," Bruce said.

"No, I gave the kid a choice, and choice is a precious thing he hasn't had a lot of, and he chose not to talk to you. Now, you two are stuck here, and until you two nutters figure out how to be civil, or his arm heals, or the Gem, sorry, Raven, should wake, you've got a chance to fix things with him. Or you leave him be because that lad has been through more than enough to break even the strongest of men," Constantine snapped and stood up.

"Don't go at him unless you're serious about being his family, because if you let him down you lose him and he's not going to take the risk to be put down, especially not by you," Constantine warned and walked off. Bruce just frowned.

He honestly had no idea what he was supposed to say to Jason, or how to bring his son home. With Jason it seemed like he took every possible wrong turn, said every possible wrong thing and pushed him farther away when he tried to bring him closer. Space was not something which would fix this though, and he knew that. He just didn't know how to talk to Jason.

* * *

Jason decided to hide out in the kitchen, it was a safe bet that Constantine wouldn't be here, and if Chad was with his kid then Chad wasn't going to be here, and Zed's cooking skills extended to tea but she expected a fully functioning kitchen in her house. He was smoking as he went about making up some steaks Constantine had in the fridge, and looking over the spices he'd left here as he pondered what sides to make.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"Jesus!" he jumped as he spun around on Black Orchid. "Don't do that!"

"I apologize," she said.

"Just, no sneaking up on a guy with a thousand triggers," he warned. The oddities in Constantine's home were never to be questioned, just accepted.

"I will endeavor to ensure you alerted to my presence," she replied.

"Thanks, and no," he answered as he continued looking through his options, he thanked Chad for the stocked kitchen.

"Will you be preparing the house's meal?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure, why the hell not," he muttered. He liked cooking, and he was tempted to poison the Bats' food but he wouldn't. and cooking for people was always a tad bit more rewarding than just cooking for one's self.

"I will tell the children," she said softly and disappeared. He just rolled his eyes and noted that he was going to need a lot more than this. Opening the fridge he blinked at seeing it fully, and freshly stocked and frowned.

"That's cheating," he muttered to the house, but didn't fight it as he pulled out stuff that he'd need for large cooking.

"Whoa! You're really alive!" a quiet voice whispered and Jason glared over his shoulder at the kid who was standing there with wide, puppy-like, blue eyes.

"You've got to be fucking me, no fucking peace, even in the damn kitchen!?" he hissed at the house, the house didn't respond and he looked at the kid. "What do you want?"

"I'm Tim! I was the Robin after you! I can't believe I'm really meeting you! You were my Robin!" Tim started a mile a minute and Jason grabbed a knife as he started mincing the herbs from the fridge. The kid had a motor mouth.

"Alright, Tim," he growled after about ten minutes of rambling. "What do you want?"

"Oh… uh, nothing, I'm just really happy you're alive!" Tim smiled

"Trust me, no one's happy I'm alive," Jason muttered. He was happy to be alive, but no one else was particularly thrilled about him being back from the dead.

"Tim?" a girl's voice called out.

"Your girlfriend?" he asked dryly.

"What!? No! Stephanie's just a friend, in here Stephanie!" Tim called out and in walked a blonde girl about Tim's height.

"Whoa! You're…!?" the girl trailed off.

"I'm what?" he asked as exhaustion was setting in, he kind of wanted to go to his room and curl up in the bed and disappear, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Tim was right! You're alive!" she smiled brightly as she all but bounced to the counter where Tim was and he swore in Arabic then. He liked being dead, he liked not dealing with Bats, and he really liked not having to deal with whatever the hell this was.

"Alright, shut it, I'm alive, have been for years, now either help or be silent or go away, I'd prefer you to do the last option, but the house has permitted you to be here so those are your options," he stated icily.

They chose silence and he went about quietly working as he tried to calm the raging Pit in him. Cooking was a way to sooth the Pit, it distracted him.

"Need help?" Stephanie asked then.

"Think I'd have given it as an option if I wasn't serious about help?" he asked surly as he lit another cigarette and continued his work.

"Never know, you look like a pro," Stephanie said.

"Mince the garlic," he said as he handed her a knife, the bits of garlic and a cutting board.

"How?" she asked. "I cook but I buy minced garlic," she informed him.

He put a piece of the garlic on the cutting board, put the flat of the knife on it and hit it hard, smashing the garlic.

"Ooooo! This is going to be fun!" she giggled and he nodded, it was a bit therapeutic to hit things, hitting garlic was no exception as he went about preparing the potatoes. He was dealing with kids so he figured it was just best to make fries so they'd eat it, he was having a baked potato for himself though.

"How long have you been alive?" Tim asked.

"Six years," he answered coldly. Six years of hell, and if Talia hadn't tossed him in that fucking Lazarus Pit he'd just be a brain dead oaf living off muscle memory in Gotham. He didn't know if that was the worst thing ever given what the Pit had given him and life with the League of Assassins.

"Drake," a sour voice sounded behind him which had Jason sighing as Stephanie continued to focus on her mincing.

"Demon brat," Tim growled.

"No fighting in the kitchen!" Jason snapped which had both boys looking at him. "This is my fucking kitchen and there will be no fighting. Here, peal the potatos shorty, and you, puppy eyes, here, season the meat," Jason shoved the potatoes and peeler at Damian who looked like he wanted to stab him and Jason shoved the seasonings at Tim with the plate of steaks as he went about preparing a zucchini dish.

"This is degrading, there are servants to do this surely," Damian muttered.

"Baby bird, this is the House of Mystery, there are no servants, and if you don't drop the prince act I'll be having a nice and long chat with little bird about your attitude and I'm certain she'll love to teach you manners," he warned. Raven didn't put up with Damian's bullshit, and Jason didn't feel the need to either. Threatening Raven on the kid did the trick and shut him up as Damian glared at him.

"What else can I mince!" Stephanie asked. Jason looked at the garlic and accepted it as he pulled out the needed herbs.

"Coarsely chop, mince these, and stem this, keep them separate, and after that slice up this onion," he said as he handed it to her and continued his own chopping. Jason was just after peace and silence. Not dealing with Bats.

* * *

Dick found them all in the kitchen and was startled to see Damian and Tim, both wielding knives and near an open flame but not trying to kill each other. He'd have been concerned expect the boys were still glaring daggers at one another as Jason showed Stephanie how to do something and had the blonde's undivided attention.

"Wow, actually in the same room and not trying to kill each other, I'm impressed, little wing, not even Bruce or Alfie can do that," Dick chuckled and Jason glared at him.

"That's because I'm not tolerating bullshit right now," Jason growled. "And as a bullshit free zone at the moment you will either leave or shut up and work, I'd prefer if you leave but the house isn't listening to me at the moment."

"Dick! He taught me how to mince garlic!" Stephanie announced gleefully and Dick chuckled at the excitement from her.

"Cool," he grinned.

"Either be working, or go away or I'll stab you," Jason snapped at him and held the knife up threateningly.

"He made me peel potatoes, Grayson," Damian announced with great distaste.

"Remember that chat little bird and I will be having when she wakes up?" Jason asked Damian and Damian frowned.

"I am not a kitchen hand," Damian muttered.

"Hmmm, I remember being the only one in this kitchen, I did not ask you here, so either work or leave," Jason challenged and Dick was shocked as Damian muttered something in Arabic and Jason retorted in the language having Damian paling as he hurried to the sink and started the dishes. He'd never seen that before, and Jason ignored it as he worked.

"Work or leave Dickhead," Jason snapped.

"I'll help Damian with the dishes," Dick decided. "He's more irritable than I remember," Dick mused quietly to Damian. "And who's little bird?"

"Raven, he calls her all sorts of names," Damian replied.

"Like what?"

"Princess, little bird, sunshine, love, Rae," Damian answered.

"I can hear you and if you're talking you're not working and this is a work zone only," Jason stated again as the stove sizzled. Dick looked over as there was a roaring flame and Jason never flinched from it as he worked.

"He's mad because we found out he's alive," Tim said primly. There was a dangerous thwack on a cutting board as a knife hit it and Tim was sitting upright and with wide eyes. Damian was snickering.

"Careful demon brat, I might throw it at you next, work or leave," Jason repeated and Dick watched as Damian grumbled but work. Dick chuckled, this wasn't so bad, it wasn't great, but it was a start if Jason could tolerate the younger kids.


	20. Little Birds and Red Birds

**Little Birds and Red Birds…**

Jason found out quickly that Raven's room was a safe hide out for avoiding… well, almost everyone. Her magic was protective around her, he was of four people to walk into the room without threat; the other three being Dickhead, demon spawn, and Victor Stone. Constantine could walk in, and so could Black Orchid and Zed, but Raven's magic was on guard.

He witnessed firsthand what happened to those Raven didn't trust coming into her room; Bruce had followed him on one of the days he'd been avoid Bruce and Raven's magic hadn't taken to Bruce trying to walk into her room. The blast of magic had broken his room across the hall and had her door slamming shut. Jason found that effective. He also learned it wasn't just Bruce affected by that, Impulse had received the same welcome from her at his top speed. Which would have been funny, had it not been Jason's designated room that Impulse came crashing through when Jason had been rebandaging his arm.

He also found his room actually listened to him and kept Bruce out! Same with the kitchen, but nowhere else, which was frustrating. Mostly it was frustrating because the house didn't listen to him and keep the other Bats away, so he had to deal with Dick, Tim, Stephanie and Damian. Which was hell for him because now Dick was acting all concern, Tim pestered him with thousands of questions, and Damian followed him around a lot. Stephanie wasn't so bad, she was interested in cooking and he didn't mind teaching her so long as she left the entire topic of Bats dead and alone. The moment she brought it up was the moment he was gone.

Which brought him to the fifth day of Raven's comatose state, and he was reading in her room, enjoying _Macbeth_ , again, and he was avoiding Bruce.

"She's still not awake," Victor muttered.

"Noticed," Jason replied dryly, not looking up from his book. "And saying that every hour isn't going to wake her up any sooner, she'll wake up when she wakes up."

"You are annoyingly patient about this," Victor muttered.

"No, I'm not, I want to grab her, scream and yell and shake her until she wakes up so we can finish the fucking job and I can never deal with fucking Bats again, however, that's counterproductive, and I can out wait her."

He wanted to strangle Raven, no, he wanted kill Talia for hiring him to get that stupid fucking book, which had Raven tracking him down, and now he was in this… mess! This was in the grand scheme of things, only happening to him because of his own stupid decisions, and he accepted that, however he didn't want to kill himself and he really wanted to kill something. Preferably a Bat, but Zed would yell at him for getting blood on her carpet, so that was out.

"Raven's pretty stubborn," Victor dryly mused and Jason smirked.

"If I can out stubborn Bats, I can out stubborn her," he said pointedly. "And you should go check on the rug rats and make sure they haven't destroyed Constantine's home."

"Why don't you!?"

"One, I'm not a Titan. Two, I'm not a Bat. Three, no my fucking responsibility. Four, I'm Red Hood and Red X and am liable to shoot them. And Five, Bruce can't walk into this room, and I'm not leaving until I know he's not in that fucking hallway," Jason snapped.

"How do you know…?" Victor started as he opened door and there was Bruce, Jason glared at the man as Victor sighed. "Fucking Bats."

"Not a Bat, and I got her, go," Jason looked back at his book and relieved as the door slammed shut. Bats were going to be the death of him.

The moment he was assured that he was alone with Raven and Victor wasn't going back he stretched out on her bed and kept reading. Raven didn't mind, and if she did, there was no way in hell her magic would let him here. With that logic, he was comfortable here.

Suddenly her eyes flew open, all four of them as she gasped, her body arching before she collapsed on the bed, the amulet which had been given to her by Constantine fell on her stomach releasing the gold shield. He dropped the book as he was over her and checked her pulse, stead, he moved the bandages on her side, no wounds which had him looking at her face, Raven's dark eyes were staring back at him blankly.

"Where…?" she croaked.

"House of Mystery, you've been out about five days," he answered as he sat there. Suddenly the door was thrown open and Jason found himself looking at Bruce, Dick and Constantine. Ah hell, her being awake let them in her room. Fuck.

"Glad to see you're awake Gem," Constantine strode in. "That was a pretty light show, lots of power for a wake up."

"Mmm," Raven hummed as she sat up, he helped her and watched as Dick came over to check her over. "I thought the House of Mystery didn't permit demons in it."

"You were welcomed in."

"Ah, Klarion?" she asked, wincing a bit which had Jason moving the bandage off her shoulder to make sure that wound hadn't opened, it wasn't there.

"Gone."

"Makes sense, St. Paul's?"

"Zachary repaired it, all you have to do is return the décor, and London would be most appreciative if you did that when you're able," Constantine pulled a cigarette and lit it.

"Good," she muttered.

"Where are you hurt?" Jason asked her sharply.

"Everywhere, I feel like I got hit by a bus," she sighed and he nodded.

"I'm not seeing any wounds, Rae, you did a good job healing," Dick commented.

"Of course I did, why are you here?" Raven asked.

"Well…" Dick started when Damian came running in.

"Raven!" the kid shouted and Jason made a move to leave when Raven caught his wrist with a warning glare and he snarled but stayed where he was.

* * *

Raven was very confused as to where she was, until she'd opened her eyes and found herself staring at Jason who was sliding his hand over her side inspecting it. For some reason that was normal to her now and she wondered if she should have a serious talk with her emotions for letting him get this close to her when she was vulnerable or to just leave it be. Then Bruce, Constantine and Dick all came barreling in was the moment that she decided Jason was the least scary person to trust her vulnerable body to as he helped her sit up.

Now she was alert and she was alert to the fact that Victor was here, as was Dick which had her brow furrowing as she looked past Damian to his brother.

"Who's in charge of the Titans if you're here?" she asked hoarsely, Constantine was the one who created a glass of water and shoved it in her free hand, she wasn't letting go of Jason's wrist just yet.

"Kori," Dick answered.

Raven just blinked at him, and she tried to process what he had said.

True, Raven loved Kori like a sister, and true she thought Kori was a fantastic leader, but there was now a horde of super powered teenagers at the Tower and Kori was emotionally volatile…

"Kori?" she repeated.

"Yeah, but don't worry, Gar's still got her back…" Dick paled at his own sentence. "I gotta make a call!"

"You were comatose for five days," Damian informed her sharply which had her looking at the younger boy.

"I'm fine," she assured, Damian looked past her.

"She's fine," Jason repeated sounding annoyed and exasperated, and Raven frowned.

"Very well, I shall hope that in future endeavors you are not so rash and take Jason for inadequate back up," Damian said.

"What the hell makes you think there's a next time!?" Jason sputtered, the insult he was feeling was slicing through her psyche at the moment.

"Damian, I'm an adult, and your Team Captain, and in charge of the Titans, I did nothing rash in my decision making, and Jason is more than adequate back up," she reminded the younger boy. Damian scowled though and she softened feeling his genuine concern for her. "But I assure you I will be more cautious in the future."

"I thought you couldn't be beat," Damian muttered.

"No, Klarion could easily destroy me if he set his mind to it," Raven muttered. Klarion was a dangerous being of pure chaos, and while she was Trigon's daughter and very dangerous on her own, she was also very aware of her limits. The limits she could go before she was hurting everyone around her.

"I thought…"

"Klarion is a Lord of Chaos, a being of extraordinary power, he can beat me," she murmured as she leaned back in the pillows.

"But you said…"

"Damian, I am a powerful demon, I am not a being of Chaos, very different," Raven softly stated as she smiled a bit at Damian. "But even a being of Chaos has a weakness and Jason was the way I exploited it."

Jason seemed to relax and preen a bit at this information, but she knew he knew this already.

"Very well," Damian muttered.

"Damian, go to the team," she said sensing Jaime, Bart, and three other kids she couldn't quite identify but knew them to be members of the Titans.

Damian stubbornly folded his arms.

"Now," she ordered, Damian huffed but stalked out. "All the way to the team, I'll know if you don't!" she called after him and she heard a furious cat like snarl, Jason snickered as he moved to leave.

"Oh no, you're staying," Raven snapped.

"Uh-huh! I am done here, little bird, I was only hanging in here because he couldn't come in without you blasting him through the house, now he's here, I'm gone," Jason venomously spat.

"Jason, I do not trust the exorcist, you're staying!" she firmly informed him.

"Now listen sunshine…" he started.

"Don't sunshine me, we're only in this mess because of you, and you're staying because I refuse to be alone in a room with an exorcist and a Bat!" she monotonously warned, and Jason glared at her, the green of the Pit lighting his eyes but she wasn't backing down. She was too tired to deal with a Bat alone at the moment.

"If I had known what you were keeping in the fucking book I'd have never taken it if it got me stuck in a room with him," Jason growled lowly.

"If I had known there was an idiot out there willing to steal it I'd have banished it to another dimension," she retorted. "Now, you're staying, because after," she pointed her finger at Bruce and Constantine who were standing at the foot of her bed. "Dealing with them, you and I are having a talk, and then I'm going to go talk to Dick and Victor, then you and I are going to go get that book back!"

"And I can't come back later because?" he asked darkly.

"Because I'm injured," she said sweetly.

"That's cheating little bird," he warned.

"I know," Raven primly preened, but knew she had won. He jabbed her newly healed side which had her reflecting the pain into him.

"That's doubly cheating," he hissed.

"Just sit here and endure and I'll fix your arm," she offered.

"I really hate you, little bird."

"Are you two always like this?" Constantine interrupted.

"He started it," she defended. Amusement hit her in waves from Constantine, and confusion and envy from Bruce which had her attention turning on to the patriarch of Bats as she slipped her hand in Jason's and sat between him and Bruce as he shielded her from Constantine.

"Proceed with the interrogation," Raven breathed as she rested her head tiredly on Jason's shoulder and kept her eyes on Bruce.

* * *

Bruce watched in envy as Raven and Jason bantered. For five days he'd just been trying to be in the same room to talk to Jason, and now he was and Jason was determined to either ignore him or leave. And Raven wasn't helping as she argued with Jason and Jason seemed more than content to argue back. In a way Bruce found himself envying the demoness, she connected so well to his sons, and he couldn't, he couldn't even talk to Damian now that Damian was hanging out with Jason and Jason refused to be in the same room as him. It was painful, and it was frustrating.

"Approximately nine days ago you ran off with my sons, why?" Bruce asked.

"Because this idiot stole my mind," Raven answered.

"That's a first, I'm used to stealing hearts," Jason muttered.

"I keep that in a different book."

"Care to tell me which book?"

"Why?"

"So I can never steal it and land in a mess like this again," he answered.

"How about you just stop stealing my things?" Raven retorted.

"And miss seeing you pretty bird?" he smirked.

"Flattery will get you sent to a dimension with no women," she warned.

"You are absolutely no fun at all," Jason chuckled.

"I'm not meant for fun."

"How could he have stolen your mind?" Bruce cut them off because it appeared these two could go at it for hours, Damian had mentioned this in passing to Dick.

"Because I have a Nevermore," Raven answered.

"Really?" Constantine asked.

"Yes, I made it myself when I was three," Raven said with a slight twich of her lips.

"That's impressive, I heard it took monks centuries to obtain that level of control," Constantine whistled lowly.

"And what is a Nevermore?" he asked in irritation at having no idea what they were talking about but it was clearly important.

"A Nevermore was an Azarathian tool of meditation, a portal into the mind for simple terms. They were usually everyday household objects, a box, a book, a toy," he answered.

"A mirror," Raven filled in.

"Exactly. They are difficult to make from my understanding, it takes years to master compete control over one's self, and you said you did it at three?" Constantine asked as Jason took an offered cigarette from the man.

"Yes, my Nevermore is a mirror, my mother's mirror actually," Raven answered.

"Impressive," Constantine said.

"And it was in a book?" Bruce asked as he watched the way Jason shifted Raven a little, and the young woman let him.

"Yes, I was using the Nevermore as a way to hide the most dangerous of magical relics I had so that the children in the Tower, mainly your sons, didn't steal them or get hurt. But to keep people out of the Nevermore, I put the Nevermore in a book, the Book of Azarath," Raven said as she rubbed her brow.

"You possess deadly artifacts?" Bruce asked, he hated dealing with magic, he felt wholly out of place now as he stared at the woman.

"Yes, I'm a sorceress, and upon the arrival of Jaime I felt that it was best I stoy my more dangerous relics, before my room was a lot like this," she gestured and Bruce looked at the museum quality things around. "Now I mostly have books on display, I felt it would be best with living with Bats that they didn't have access to magic and accidentally get sent to another dimension."

"Like your mind, love?" Constantine asked.

"Exactly. I even have a book holding a dragon prisoner in my room," Raven dryly mused and Jason blinked at her.

"Come again?"

"A dragon, from the medieval times," she shrugged and Bruce felt his frown deepening at her words.

"And why anyone want to steal the book of Azarath?" he asked.

"It's not the book they want," Raven explained patiently. "It's what's inside the book that they want."

"They're after the Nevermore."

"Yes. The best I have figured out is that they are going to drop the Nevermore into the synthesized Lazarus Pit, breaking me and bringing forth my inner rage and demon so I will willingly comply with my father's demands and become a portal for him, again, so he could once more try to devour this plane of existence. He's a devourer of all things mortal, and he possesses an insatiable appetite," she sighed.

"And what keeps your father back now?" Bruce asked. He'd seen the footage of the fight against Trigon, it wasn't pretty.

"My control, so long as I remain in control of myself he cannot use me as his conduit to this realm. I'm a door, Bruce, that's essentially all I am."

"Can't you seal him away?" Constantine asked.

"No, since my… death, the first time I was the portal, I haven't had any connection with my demonic powers, true connection at least. I do not possess the strength to stop him or to seal him away, no one does, it's why I banished him," Raven said.

"How'd you banish him if you don't have the power?"

"It was not easy and I can only tell you I did it because of will," she yawned.

"Huh, and here I thought I was the only one to pull hat tricks," Constantine chuckled.

"It was far more challenging than a hat trick," Raven murmured sleepily. "But yes, I got lucky that it even worked."

"Well, Gem, I'm tracing the rest of your magic, hopefully I'll be able to tell you where your mind is before this is over," Constantine said.

"Please don't exorcise me, that'd suck," she muttered.

"Trying not to," Constantine waved off as he left and Bruce stared at Jason who glared back at him without wavering. Raven just sighed and hit Jason's shoulder lightly.

"You're hurting me," she muttered.

"Get rid of him," he growled.

Bruce just sighed and left sensing that he wasn't going to get through to Jason right now, and he had no idea how to talk to Raven about this with Jason sitting there glaring like a cornered animal. He just, he wanted his son back, but he had no clue how to talk to him. Jason wasn't making it easy either.

* * *

"Give me the arm," Raven sighed.

"You just woke up," he argued.

"And I assure you that I have restored enough of my energy to repair the damage of Teekl's claws without passing out," she assured and watched as Jason reluctantly moved. She grabbed his hand then and pulled his arm straight, he hissed, and she slowly unwound the bloody bandages. He was ripped up, but he was in good shape as far as she could tell. Gingerly she traced the tips of her finger tips over his ragged skin as she slowly used her empathy to heal him, even as she absorbed his pain.

Jason just watched her fingers, and she internally hissed taking in a storm of unwanted emotions as she took his physical pain and healed him. Jason was like a never-ending, raging hurricane of emotions, and though she accepted the storm he was, and she found a solace in his storm. Finally, she finished her healing as she released his hand and leaned back in the bed as she released a shuddering, painful sigh.

"You alright, princess?" he asked.

"Don't call me that, and give me a minute to catch my breath," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Really, because you're looking exceedingly gray," he said as he smoked his cigarette and snubbed it out.

"I am gray," she muttered.

"I know, and it is truly, a lovely color on you little bird, but you look like ash right now," he said smartly. She hit his shoulder lightly and opened her eyes as she centered herself again.

"I'm good," she promised.

"Excellent, now, jail break," Jason said seriously.

"I'm not that good, I'm barely keeping the shields on the book up, I need another day before I'm good," she sighed in frustration. Raven hated having to be the rational one in the Titans and in life. She had an obligation to know how far she could push herself before she was dangerous to others, and right now… she was dangerous to others.

"Fine," Jason grumbled as he sat there twitchy.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry that Bruce found out about you being alive," she said carefully. "I was never going to tell him."

"I know, little bird," he sighed as he dragged a hand through his messy hair. "I know that, but all the other Bats, minus a few, are here, and I was not ready for that or them."

"Will you talk to him?" she asked.

"Are you going to ever talk to your father?"

"Jason, that's not a good analogy," she warned. "My entire family aims to use me or kill me, it makes in simple when dealing with my family, but none of them care about me."

"Well, I feel the same about mine," he growled.

"Jason," she grabbed his shoulder and he reluctantly looked at her. "I have Victor, I have Dick, I have Kori, and I have Garfield, that's my family, you have an entire clan of people who want you and love you, why throw it away?"

"Because they threw me away," he snarled as he menacingly caged her in, but Raven never flinched. "He picked the goddamn Joker over me; after I was brutally murdered and blown up for good measure. He picked my killer over me, Raven. For that I cannot and I will not forgive him. And I don't care about the rest the family, Dick never wanted me for his brother, and the rest don't know me so they are not family."

"Jason," Raven lowly started. "I have felt every single member of your family's emotions, and I've felt their grief and their pain when it comes to you. I have also felt your pain, and experienced your death through you, I understand. However, I also know how much they miss you and how lonely you feel, I have felt your loneliness Jason, and I've experienced my own loneliness, do not let it isolate you when others are reaching for you."

"Is that all, Raven?" he darkly asked.

"For now, tomorrow I will have devised a way to get us the hell out of here and to retrieve the book," Raven replied coolly as she released him.

"I thought Constantine was tracking it."

"There's no need, part of why I was out for so long was to track my book I know where it is," she stated as she scooted under her covers. "And Constantine will not be able to track it in time. We leave tomorrow and we might be able to make it there before they break my final layers of protection," she yawned.

"Huh, did not know that," he muttered.

"Why do you think I'm drained, I'm fighting two fronts simultaneously. And if the ones helping Klarion are really the ones who he said then I know just what they want to do," she breathed and felt her eyes getting heavy.

"What?"

"They want to beat our father too," she whispered as she felt herself finally surrender to sleep. Azar she was exhausted. Come tomorrow though she'd be ready to take on the world, for now she would just work on keeping her mind safe, and hopefully, she could get to her book before something bad happened. It would be different if the Nevermore were just broken, but to dip it into the Lazarus Pit… even with all those relics in it, it scared her what could come of this.

A heavy arm dropped across her stomach and she scooted into the warmth of a hard body as she just savored a chance to catch her breath as her body finished healing. She felt a comfort in being near the storm as her fingers clutch his shirt for an anchor.

* * *

Jason decided he was staying right where he was. He didn't agree with Raven on her views of his family, but he also knew that she was probably right in her way. However, he was too fucking exhausted to argue with her about the complexities of his hatred for Bruce, and he was damn comfortable with her he was just going to stay right where he was. Raven didn't mind, which was why he tucked her into him, his chin resting on her head.

Tomorrow he would help her fight for her mind, and then…

Huh, he hadn't had about the 'and then' part of this. No matter, afterwards he'd disappear, no doubt he could disappear, and he wasn't going to stick around to deal with Bruce.

The door opened and he reluctantly cracked an eye to glare at the intruder only to find it to be the kid as he crept in. Damian stared at him with expectant eyes and Jason groaned. Saying no to kids, even before his death, had never been something he could do as he lifted the covers and the kid clambered in and pressed his back to Raven's.

"Jason?" Damian whispered.

"What demon brat?" he grumbled.

"Does father hate me?" Damian murmured.

"I doubt it, you're his blood son, more precious than gold to him," Jason muttered. The kid rolled over and stared at him with wide, earnest, far too innocent eyes for an assassin brat.

"Then father loves you too," Damian stated and Jason growled.

"Look kid," he hissed. "It's not that simple and butt out of it before I chop your nose off to spite your face. Also, mind your own business, Bruce and I's relationship is not your business. And if sunshine wakes up because you start this argument I'll kick your ass kid, and don't think I don't know how."

"Raven's never wrong," Damian muttered and Jason rolled his eyes as the kid settled and was sound asleep quickly. Kid had a point Raven wasn't wrong, however, in this matter, she was wrong. Bruce would never pick him, he wasn't a son of Bruce's, he was willing to bet he'd been nothing a soldier to Bruce. And soldiers were remembered, but never loved or missed. And Jason had loved Bruce, God he'd loved that man and he had loved having a family. He'd never had a family before.

However, his idea of family was nothing but a shattered illusion now.

But it was better to accept the short-term bitter pain of a truth than the long-term deadly pain of a lie. And Jason wasn't ever going to be sucked into believing a lie again. If he had seen through Talia's lies, even as she wound him up and played him, then he could see through Bruce and he wouldn't be dragged down again. He'd rather accept his reality and work with it than live in and illusion and die again.

* * *

Dick found Damian in Raven's room, and he paused at the door seeing who was sleeping in Raven's bed, and Raven was allowing it. Damian's back was pressed against Raven's, and Raven was tucked into Jason's chest.

Slowly Dick backed out of the room and smiled to himself as he found Bruce, Tim and Stephanie in a study. Five days in the House of Mystery, Constantine had say they were in a suspended plane and when the house settled on a location time would flow as if the church attack had been yesterday.

"How's Raven? She did the fancy light thing," Stephanie asked as she looked up from the chess game Tim and Bruce were playing.

"She's sleeping," he answered as he sat there. "Jason and Damian are with her."

"That's… fine," Bruce said tightly.

"Wow, they got close," Stephanie remarked as she glared a bit at Bruce and Dick frowned. Bruce did not have the best relationship with Stephanie, but these past five days of being stuck had sort of forced everyone to learn to live with one another.

Dick just shrugged, Raven was good at getting close to people. People getting close to her was far more challenging. Tim made his move on the game and Bruce countered.

"Just think, maybe Jason will come home! It'll be nice to have a brother on my side," Tim smirked. Dick looked to the ceiling.

"Tim," he started.

"Just saying, you always side with Damian."

"I do not! And he needs more guidance!" Dick stated.

"So in simple terms I know better but he doesn't?" Tim asked dryly.

"Exactly."

"That's BS and you know it," Stephanie stated.

"And what makes you say that?" Bruce asked coldly.

"Cause Jason and I call Damian on his BS, and Raven's been known to cuff him when he's a brat. I can't wait until he's an older brother and has to stop being a brat," Stephanie hummed.

"Did you…?" Dick asked.

"No," Bruce shook his head.

"Tell us what?" Tim and Stephanie asked wryly then and Dick grinned as Bruce spoke.

"Selina's pregnant," he said.

"What! Really!?" Tim gaped.

"Yup, we're getting another brother!" Dick declared.

"It's too early to tell if it's a boy," Bruce said as he leaned back from the chess game.

"Oh the demon brat is going to lose his blood status!" Tim grinned devilishly and Dick chuckled. This was a good thing. The time in this house was a good thing, it was bringing them together, and he was pleased with it. He'd always wanted a big family, and Bruce had given him a big family.

"We're not going to treat it like that, but Damian's about to be a big brother," Dick said. Bruce grunted in agreement and Stephanie was giggling.

"Can Cass and I babysit!?" she asked gleefully and Dick was amused at the shock on Bruce's face. But slowly Bruce nodded.

"Yes!" Stephanie smiled a bit wistfully.

"A baby will be good," Tim decided and Dick couldn't agree more with the kid.

This was a good thing for their family. Now they only needed to get Damian alright with the idea, and bring Jason home. Dick hoped for the best, but he was preparing for a war, and if Damian and Jason teamed up together it could be a formidable war.


	21. Don't Look Down

**Don't Look Down...**

Raven squirmed out of the grasps of Damian and Jason; Jason was a bit more difficult to escape as his arm held her tight, but she did it and stumbled a moment. She rubbed her side and her shoulder as she rolled her shoulder to check it. It didn't hurt, it just was stiff, which had her walking out of her room and right into the chest of Dick Grayson.

"Rae!" he started before she slammed her hand over his mouth, backed him up as she shut the door silently and waited a beat, there was waking emotions from Damian or Jason.

"Shush," she whispered and he nodded as he took her arm and dragged her into another room.

"Titans are still standing," he smiled slightly.

"Mmm," she hummed. "Where's the kitchen?" her stomach was snarling fiercely.

"Come on, your team is awaiting you," he said.

"I can sense that," she replied dryly as she lifted her brows and awaited the fill in on having her entire team here.

"About that… Cy got information on Jason, I took Kori to Gotham to talk to Bruce about it, Tim hacked Cy, got the info, he and Stephanie deciphered what it meant, and they stole Kori's jet, along with Jaime, Jon, Bart, Kaldur, and Cassandra, crashed it in the English Channel and are now here," Dick blurted out quickly.

Raven pursed her lips together as she folded her arms then.

"Anything else, I should know about?" she asked icily.

"Uh… nope, that sums it up. You and Jason?" he asked.

"Nothing there, and no, I wasn't going to tell you about him because it is his choice if he should have anything to do with you and your family, not mine," she stated.

"And Damian?" he asked.

"He wanted to come, and he's good company," she smiled a bit at Dick's relieved look. "He and Jason get along well enough when they aren't trying to strangle each other."

"Really?"

"Jason had Damian in a head lock on the first day," she sighed in exasperation at the memory as they walked down the stairs.

"Cool, oh, Zachary has asked to be on your team, he's joining the Titans," Dick informed her. Raven just nodded, she had a feeling she wasn't getting rid of the teen just yet, but it wasn't her main concern.

"Raven!" Jaime shouted and she looked over at her oldest student running towards her, his scarab chirped then.

"Jaime," she greeted.

"You have to come back! Terra's trying to kill me, and everything is falling apart, you can't just leave the Titans!" Jaime announced.

"I was running a mission," she replied. "And I've only been gone four earth days."

"We're on day five on earth," Dick whispered.

"How could the Titans fall apart in four, five days of me being gone?" Raven asked sharper than she intended as she glared at Dick who was looking rather sheepish. "Dick, you started the Titans, we're better than this, you're the leader."

"You're the den mother, Dick's the mother hen, we need you back," Jaime said shyly which had her blinking in shock. She was the WHAT!?

"What?" she asked slowly.

"No seriously, it's cool that Dick's the leader of the Titan's and all, but you're… you're the glue, we fall apart without you, and someone seriously needs to put Terra in her place. No one but you stands a chance against that power," Jaime rushed.

"Den mother?" she growled.

"Yeah! Dick makes everyone feel good, and he's the guy we all talk to but your kind of the enforcer," Jaime filled in.

Raven turned a glare on Dick who was looking just as astonished as she felt at Jaime's statement.

"You and I will be having a talk about that when I get back," she warned Dick lowly.

"Uh… hehe," he nervously chuckled.

"Jaime, gather the team and Victor," Raven ordered. "Dick, where's the kitchen?"

"Thanks Raven," Dick said when they got to the kitchen and Raven picked up a piece of bread, she wanted waffles but she wasn't going to even attempt to cook.

"For what?" she asked as she dropped the bread in the toaster.

"For…well, Jason," he said uncertainly which had her frowning a bit.

"What about Jason?"

"He's alive Raven, we'd have never found out if you hadn't found him," Dick said. "Thank you for finding my brother, and for keeping my other brother safe."

"Of course, you're my family, Dick," she murmured as she found tea and a kettle and decided to make some.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make Damian or Jason or Tim or the rest of the Bats your family," he pointed out.

"True," she omitted and then smiled a little. "But I have grown fond of Damian and Tim, and Jason's alright when he's not being a pain in the ass."

"So you admit you like Jason!" Dick grinned. She rolled her eyes.

"His company is preferred of the Bats, he talks books," she stated as her toast popped and she pulled it out and buttered it.

"Really?"

"Yes, books, not _Twilight_ books, but books, like classics," she said as she walked with Dick out of the kitchen.

"No shit?"

"Yes, it is refreshing."

"You let him touch you," Dick pointed out.

"Yes? But he's tactile, I do not know why because no one else goes close to him," she shrugged.

"Just admit it Rae, there's something there."

"Dick, I know a dimension with no curvy redheads, do not tempt me to banish you there," she warned and he laughed.

"You would never send me there," he teased.

"You really want to test the theory?"

"No, not really, things with me and Kori have finally straightened out," he grinned.

"does this mean I will be hearing an earful from her when I return about your relationship?" Raven asked dryly as she took a chunk out of her toast.

"Probably," he shrugged.

"Thanks for the warning, and screw it up Dick and I send you to that dimension," Raven warned.

"Rae! You're awake, are you feeling alright?" Victor was up and Raven found herself engulfed in a massive hug then as she caught her toast with her powers and let her friend feel her over for injuries to calm himself.

"I am fine Vic, but when I'm done with you, you might not be," she warned sharply which had victor grinning nervously.

"About that… it's Dick's fault! I'd have been in charge of the kids if I hadn't been asked to dig into information and look for Damian and you," Vic defended.

She lifted her brow at him and he sighed.

"Fine, next time I'll just not get sleep," he muttered.

"Next time make sure Dick does his job," she decided and then she looked at the table of gathering teens, the blonde Wonder Girl was eyeing her warily, the Atlantean was looking perfectly calm, the Superboy was floating in his seat and Impulse came blasting in then

"You'reawake!" Impulse giddily announced.

"Astute observation," she dryly remarked and the kid was in a seat shoving food in his mouth then. Tim and Stephanie appeared then and Raven looked over the table.

"I'm sorry, I have been gone for the past few days dealing with a personal matter. However, I wish to meet my team," Raven said evenly. Zachary appeared then and blushed when she looked at him. Raven internally heaved a sigh, teenagers, hormones, it sucked on her empathy.

"I'm not on your team!" Tim piped up.

"That is fine, you're a Titan, and I already know you, Tim. I am Raven, I will be your team captain, and this is Victor, he's my second in command on the team, when I'm gone he's your leader. And that's Dick, he's your mother hen," Raven smiled slightly at the kids. There was a giggle from them and she felt Dick's exasperation.

"Raven's your den mother," Dick announced.

"Not even close," she dismissed. "Now, I have been filled in on how you lot came to be here, and after I speak with our hosts I will be discussing with Victor you punishment for stealing Kori's jet."

"Kori's?" Tim and Stephanie paled.

"Yes, Koriand'r, and I'm certain she is very offended that you took her ship and crashed it," Raven warned. "As to you being here, you will be punished accordingly upon return, and we will also start team training when we return."

"That's…" the Wonder Girl groaned.

"I believe it to be fair all things considered," Raven said with a smile. "You did leave the Tower without permission, and you did put yourselves at great risk. And Jaime, I will handle Terra when we return."

Jaime just sagged in relief.

"For now, you will be returning to the Tower, as a team, with Victor."

"What!?" they shouted.

"I will be returning after I've completed my mission," she said and watched the kids as they started to argue or offer help, however Raven would only be taking Jason for help. She couldn't afford for these kids to get hurt.

"Rae…" Victor started as she walked away.

"Even Damian will be returning," she murmured. "I have stuff to finish."

"Then let us help," Dick hissed.

"No, trust me, no, it's for the best if I handle this alone, it is a family matter," she stated and walked out of the room and took a shuddering breath. She'd take Jason simply because she had promised not to tell his family about him, but she wasn't going to take him with her unless he really wanted to come. Instead she'd offer him the chance to go anywhere he wanted in this world, and she'd handle the problem alone if need be. However, Raven would risk no one else, they were children, she wasn't a child and she could handle this.

It was best to go alone.

"Raven," Damian greeted her as she walked into her room.

"Damian, go to the dining hall, it's time for breakfast, I will wake Jason," she said. Damian didn't have a chance to protest as she walked around him and reached for Jason's shoulder. She looked up and Damian was gone.

"Wake up," she ordered.

Jason's eyes snapped open as he glared at her.

"What is it little bird?" he yawned.

"We're leaving, now," she hissed.

"Great," he said as he stood up and she held up her hand as the shadows slipped from her fingers and she let her powers wrap around them as she moved them. She walked out of the shadows dressed into the empty cathedral.

"What are we doing here, sunshine?" he asked.

"Returning the décor, this might not be a return trip," she said softly as she lifted her hand again and let the portal open as it slid back and over the church returning everything.

"Neat trick," he said and she turned on him.

"I can take you anywhere you wish to go in this world," Raven said. "But if you come with me there's a chance you won't be coming back."

"A suicide mission, princess? Isn't that a bit mellow dramatic for you?" he asked.

"I am a realist," she shrugged. "I'm about to face off with my brothers, and magicians, and though my own power is great, I am outnumbered and out matched, you are woefully out of your skillset and abilities. It is very likely, that even if I should succeed I will die, or be dragged to my father's realm. With that in mind, I ask, do you wish to come or do you wish for me to take you elsewhere before I handle this."

"You doubt my skill, little bird?" he asked.

"Not at all, however, as I said, I am a realist," she said evenly.

"Well, you're clearly no princess, or damsel in distress, but I'm all in," he shrugged.

"Very well," she nodded.

"Raven," he said her name softly and she turned to him then. "Please tell me you can get me an armory."

"Of course," she smiled slightly.

"Then let's go, get your mind back, and I'll get my rep back," he grinned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"You're insane, Red, but thank you," she smirked, he laughed, and Raven opened yet another portal and walked through it.

* * *

Damian thought it odd when he left the room and Raven and Jason weren't directly behind him, however, he figured they were talking about something. Which was about the only reason he walked down the hall, and sought out his father.

"I know Selina, I will talk to him about the baby," he heard his father speaking and Damian paused outside the door of what he had identified to be one of five libraries in this House of Mystery. "No, the others are excited. No, but I will talk to Damian about the baby. Yes Selina. I'm working on it. Alright, call you later then."

"What baby?" Damian asked as he opened the door and he saw his father stop pacing and look at him with wide eyes. "What baby father?"

"Damian, sit down," his father ordered. Reluctantly Damian did as he was ordered and took a perch.

"What baby?" Damian asked.

"Damian, I want you to know that no matter what I love you, and you are my son," Bruce said evenly. Damian felt his brow twitch and he scowled a bit at his father.

"What Baby?" he grounded out.

"Selina is pregnant," his father said suddenly and Damian stiffened.

"I do not see why you would need to speak with me about a harlot's baby," Damian hissed.

"Damian, the baby is mine," his father stated and Damian stared at his father with wide eyes. "Selina and I are having a baby."

"What…?" Damian choked then and he was scooting away from his father then. Damian was his son, his blood son, he had held pride in such a relation because he… he was proud of his father. However, he was at a loss as to how he should feel about this. All he felt was… shattered. He wasn't enough, his father wanted a different child to be his heir, Damian wasn't good enough, again. The thought was crushing, especially with how he tried, and he tried really hard now, to make his father proud of him, to make his father want him as a son.

"Damian, you are…"

"Am I not enough? Am I not good enough?" he whispered.

"No, Damian, Damian, you're my son, and I love you," Bruce stated and Damian frowned before he shoved his father away.

"Go back to your whore! You don't need me," Damian hissed as he ran out of the room then and slammed the door as he hurried away. How was it that he could never be enough! He felt the tears well up and he ran into Raven's room, it was empty and he just crawled under the covers and hid as he tried not to cry.

He wasn't enough.

Again.

* * *

"How is the shields still up?" Klarion snarled as he continued to tend to Teekl who was still grievously injured by Raven's familiar. When Klarion saw them again he was destroying them! Painfully! They had hurt Teekl!

"She's poured a lot of focus and magic into the shields, but even she is wavering, we're breaking through," he gleefully announced.

"And soon we will be able to complete the prophecy," their employer smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, boring!" Klarion rolled his eyes then.

"Have more respect for the great Lord Trigon's resurrection," he snapped. "The Gem of Scath will play her part properly this time with no interference being ran by those Titans or the Azarathians. Understand this Sebastian, all prophecies must happen."

"Is that why you married Arella to our master?" the young man asked.

"It was foreseen, she was to be the vessel which would bring the Gem of Scath into this world," the older man announced.

"The Gem of Scath is very beautiful, think Trigon will bequeath her to me as a gift for my loyalty?" Sebastian asked then.

"Lord Trigon is a benevolent ruler, he will reward those loyal to him," the old man smiled.

"I will kill the Gem after she has served her purpose, she hurt Teekl," Klarion cooed as he stroked his familiar.

"Klarion, it is time, unearth the shrine," the older man ordered.

"Of course," Klarion cackled as he snapped his fingers, foolish humans. Trigon would destroy them all, and it would be fun!

* * *

Constantine was walking to the Gem's room, where Jason was likely to be hiding out, to tell her that he had tracked her book down. Knocking lightly he waited a beat.

"Alright you love birds, I'm coming in so no shaggin'," he called as he walked in and found himself staring at an empty room, except the lump on the bed. Ripping off the sheets he found himself staring at the startle, wide blue eyes of a hurt child and sighed.

"Bollocks," he muttered. He should have known the bloody Gem was looking for the book on her own! No doubt she'd found it and hadn't just been pouring her power into it but also healing her body and magic supplies rapidly to go get it.

"They're not here," Damian muttered as he curled away from Constantine and Constantine paused as he remembered Jason being here and very similar to this.

"Look kid, normally I don't give a flying shit about whatever is going on, and I still don't. However, if you want to come I'm getting Zed and we're going to go get the Gem back," Constantine offered. Fastest way to get through with Jason was to offer him a deadly mission, Damian perked up the same way and Constantine wondered if this was a Bat thing or a genetic.

"You know where Raven is?" Damian asked.

"What don't you have trackers on them?" Constantine countered dryly.

"I did but Raven found them," he held out his hand to prove it.

"Hell, come on kid, get changed," Constantine ordered and the kid was scrambling off the bed then.

* * *

Jason looked at his gear as he walked out of a portal and stared over the dunes.

"I hate the desert," he muttered sourly. He looked at Raven as she tugged her hood secure as the wind picked up and they started walking.

"Any idea what we'll be dealing with little bird?" he asked.

"Felix Faust, Wotan, Wizard, and Blackbriar Thorn are assaulting the book, if you could possibly get the book away I'll send you back to the Tower," Raven said. "Put it in my room please."

"And you?"

"I will handle my brothers and Klarion," she said softly and he blinked.

"You're…"

"It is very possible," she replied and Jason took a steadying breath as he grabbed her arm and turned his cloaked companion to him.

"Raven, what aren't you telling me?" he asked her softly.

"I've actually told you all I know, but there's the possibility that there are more people at this sight than I know, I was focused on magic, and they've… I think they've unearthed the Infernal Shrine. I don't know, but I sense a great focus of dark magic of a Satanist's Shrine, or that could just be Klarion," she answered.

"And that's bad?"

"So long as I do not become a part of it, it is just a relic," Raven said.

"And how would you become a part of it?" Jason asked carefully.

"I am the final piece," she replied and that had him doing a double take of her. "I am the Gem of Scath, I am not a person or a demon, Jason, I am a thing, like a chess piece or a piece of cursed jewelry."

"You're not though…" he started.

"I am, and that's a part of what I am, but it is not who I am," she smiled at her and he felt a bit better about this now as they walked in silence. It was when they hit the stony ground beneath sand that he saw Raven's eyes widened.

"That's a lot of people," he let out a low whistle.

"Yes, but they are nothing, I will handle them, get the book," she pleaded.

"Yeah, and if I don't?" he paused.

"Then I need you to be willing to kill me if it should come to that," she murmured and walked forward. Jason frowned but he felt a wave of exhaustion released from her and he watched as people dropped. He wouldn't kill her, but it was time to get to work, he walked a step behind her and marveled at how she had people dropping until they came to a center point of this mess and he stared at a massive stone circle and stairs leading up to a smaller circle.

"How'd we miss that?" he asked.

"Klarion," she answered.

"It's so good to see you Gem! So glad you could make it!" a voice squealed and Jason looked up to see that Klarion guy again. "And your brought your familiar too! That's good, because I'm going to kill him for harming Teekl!"

There was a blinding shot of light and Raven swiped her hand across as a shield dropped, there was a powerful explosion which knocked the boy back in the air. Jason looked at Raven.

"Get the book, I will deal with Klarion."

"You didn't think I'd be alone, did you?" Klarion giggled.

"No, I am guessing that you have my brothers here," she answered and Jason watched as three demons appeared, ugly red skin, fangs, four eyes glowing red like Raven's, and they all stared at Raven.

"Sister, it is good to see you," they rasped.

"You do not get your looks from your father," he informed her.

"Now is not the time Red," she warned.

"It is time for the prophecy to be fulfilled," one of the demons rasped.

"I will not open the portal," Raven stated as she threw up a shield. "Go," she ordered and he nodded as he ran.

"Don't let him go!" Klarion shouted.

"Your quarrel is with me Klarion," she shouted and Jason leapt over a wall as he looked at the fancy light show. He skidded to a hault when there was a blast as he slid in behind a building.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way!" Jason shouted.

"You are no match for us," a pompous voice announced and there was another blast, his cover was gone, he already had his weapons drawn and was leaping back.

"The hard way it is!" he shouted and fired off the first shot as he twisted, landed rolled and ran as he lay cover fire. He knew sorcerers would aim to keep him at a distance, so all he had to do was get close, and then they were fucked.

Peeking up he saw the book and smirked.

Getting close would be difficult, but not impossible. He drew an old batarang, it looked like one of Nightwing's; explosive too! Good Dear God, he just might be in love with the woman for giving him this in his arsenal! Leaping up he twisted as he threw it and drew his sword, there was a deafening boom in the center of the circle and he watched the book skitter out of it as he hit the ground slicing off the first sorcerer's arm as he ran for the book. There were vines growing at his feet, but Jason was a tad bit more determined as he leapt, summersaulting in the air as he pulled a knife and threw it, he hit the ground again as he grabbed the book and slid up to his feet.

"Give us the book, boy," the pompous one snarled as he pulled the knife from his shoulder.

"Come and get it," he taunted.

"Wrong choice boy," the pompous one flew up and Jason swung the familiar weight of the sword in his left hand as he readied for the attack.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Dick demanded as he caught his littlest brother's shoulder as he ran by in full gear.

"What do you care?" Damian spat, and Dick was taken aback by that.

"Damian?" he asked in a low warning tone.

"Father is having another child, you must be pleased to be receiving a better sibling," Damian hissed as he yanked away, but Dick was stronger.

"So what? You're running off in Robin gear?" Dick demanded.

"No! I'm going to go get Jason and Raven and Jason will teach me the rest of what I need to know! You're just going to discard me like you did Jason!" Damian snarled and Dick yelped when his baby brother bit him, and then he lunged as he caught Damian, they rolled down the stairs, Damian furiously elbowing his ribs.

"Will you knock it off!? No one is throwing anyone away!" Dick snapped; this was exactly why Dick had wanted Raven here to help with this topic.

"Let me go Grayson!" Damian shouted.

"Stop squirming!" Dick hissed and tightened his hold on the kid. "We're not discarding you," Dick whispered in Damian's ear. "You're irreplaceable Damian, we didn't throw Tim out when you came, we didn't throw me out when we adopted Jason, we just expanded. Jason was killed, and Bruce picked wrong, a mistake Bruce will never make again. And you get to be a big brother, it's the best thing in the world Damian."

"Father doesn't want me! He never did!" Damian growled.

"That's a lie, he never knew about you, and now that he has you, Damian, nothing in this world will ever stop Bruce from loving you, a baby doesn't mean you're discarded. It just means this family is growing, we never leave each other behind, and you get to help this kid grow up, just like I'm helping you. It's a huge responsibility, and Damian it's worth it," Dick murmured.

"Promise," the ten year old whispered.

"Yeah," Dick said. "And if there's ever any problems, you have the Titans, you've got me, you're not alone Damian."

"Raven and Jason really are in trouble," Damian finally muttered.

"You're not just running away?" Dick asked skeptically. Damian shook his head.

"Raven sent me to get breakfast, she and Jason disappeared, Constantine said they're in the Middle East, or that's where Raven's book is," Damian muttered.

"Kay, we'll get the team and go there," Dick said as he slowly released Damian from his hold. "And Damian, we never threw Jason away, we're going to get him back, it's just going to take a lot of work."

"You mean that?" Damian asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I do," he promised as he ran off to get Victor and his gear. Whatever that book was must have been pretty fucking important if Raven was willing to run off with just Jason for back up.

Dick was changed and he looked in on the training area Constantine had given them.

"Vic, we got a mission, now," he called.

"You heard him, gear up," Victor shouted at the kids and Dick paused briefly as he looked at Damian who was worrying his lip. Hesitantly Dick reached out and clasped Damian's shoulder.

"I doubt they'll get into too much trouble, it's Raven after all," he mused. Raven was a good fighter, but she was practical, and she was a realist.

"She and Jason get into nothing but trouble," Damian stated, and he lifted a brow.

"Really?" he mused.

"Yes, Raven is more comfortable with him and does take bigger risks," he explained calmly and Dick frowned.

"Really?" he asked flatly.

"Yes, they are a good team, but trouble follows," his little brother informed him.

"Kay, I am having a serious talk with Jason when all this is over," Dick growled. Raven was supposed to be a voice of reason, not trouble.

"What's this!?" Constantine bellowed.

"Reinforcements," Damian answered.

"Whatever, the House is taking us to just outside the center of the magic flux, and from there we attack," Constantine warned.

"Acceptable," Damian answered.

"I don't need bloody approval from a kid!"

* * *

She wrapped her soul in the shadows as she dove below Klarion, she realized that he was using her brothers to herd her towards the shrine, and up the shrine, but Raven had no intentions of getting to the top, they weren't making it easy, but she wasn't going, Jason had her book, and they were leaving.

"Will you hold still!" Klarion screamed.

"Sister! Lord Trigon awaits you!" one of her brother's whined.

"I will never obey him!" Raven warned as she threw out a shield around her body, her mistake, she forgot about the cat.

There were claws piercing her stomach, she screamed out at the impalement as she dropped to the ground hard. Groaning she glared up at them.

"Nice one Teekl!" Klarion praised. Hands were on her and Raven tried to struggle but the pain stopped her.

"RAVEN!" Jason's voice screamed and Raven snarled as she sent out a lash out of every painful emotion she'd ever obtained, having it hit everyone as she struggled to escape.

"Enough of that!" one of her brother hit her and Raven saw stars as she went limp but struggled not to pass out as she was dragged up the wretched steps of the shrine. There were gunshots, there were curses, and there was so much pain behind her, but Raven could barely find the strength to try to weigh them down let alone look.

"Raven," her father's voice boomed as she was dropped on the platform. Gasping for air as she felt the blood on her tongue.

"Leave this world alone," she rasped weakly as she turned her head to face her father's four narrow glowing eyes. "I beg you."

"It is my destiny to consume worlds, just as it is yours to open the door," Trigon growled.

" _ **I Will Fight You Every Step Of The Way, Even If You Use Me**_ ," she warned as she weakly shoved up on her knees to glare at into those eyes. " _ **You're An Abomination!**_ "

" _ **Watch Your Tongue, You, Ungrateful Girl!**_ " her father's lash of power had her crying out as she felt him drag her into the rings.

" _ **RAVEN!**_ " she heard him, but she couldn't look at him or anyone as the agony shredded her psyche, and tore her mind into oblivion as she struggled to breath, but she couldn't stop crying at the pain.

" _ **This World Shall Be Mine!**_ " Trigon hissed. Raven screamed as the power surged into her, rapidly healing her body as it sapped her of all her strength again. She was being torn apart, she was being thrown back together, and she felt her father's power pouring into her and drowning her, she screamed at the agony he wrought upon her empathy as she used the last bit of her power to throw Jason to safety.

She would survive this.

" _ **I Will Stop You!**_ " she screamed as she felt the rip in her stomach.

"Try, you, stupid girl," her father rumbled and she felt the earth shaking.

She screamed as it felt like lightning and fire ripping her veins apart, ice freezing her blood as a mountain crusted her from the inside.


	22. Shit Just Went SIDEWAYS!

**Shit Just Went SIDEWAYS!...**

It was when the wave of darkness hit her and wrapped a force around her jewel that her eyes widened, her body shuddered and her father ripped it from her.

A howl of pain ripped from her lips as she arched, the electricity searing her nerves as she watched in horror as her father dropped the gem and the simple red crystal fell, enlarging, and then it hit the ground. There was a flare of energy as wisps of fire erupted from her jewel and raced rampantly up and into the rings.

"Finally, my time to talk the earth has come," her father's voice rumbled in her head as she felt the earth tremble under his force. There was a blast, and Raven felt the rings give, but her energy was gone as she let herself fall for a moment. She'd catch herself in a moment.

Something solid hit her hard knocking the air out of her lungs as she was wrapped up and jolted from hitting the ground. Weakly she opened her eyes and felt a smile tug on her lips a bit at the sight of who had caught her.

"Falling, stupid birds," he muttered.

"Thanks," she breathed as she closed her eyes to collect herself again, her magic was seriously depleted. There was a shaking of the earth, she heard someone shout they had to move and then she was up and Jason was running, she couldn't open her eyes yet as she furiously tried to center herself again.

* * *

Jason rolled to his feet as his eyes widened and he heard the bloodcurdling screams of Raven. He looked at the book and then at where she was suspended, her own power surging around her, wrapping itself up and around the rings, he watched as she struggled, but she couldn't escape it's grasp. Klarion was clapping, the cat was sitting there, purring, Jason snarled as he pulled a dagger and threw it through the animal.

Klarion screamed, and his pet vanished.

"You… You!?" Klarion gasped as he flickered. "I will not forget this! I will get you back you cheater!" he screeched as his form vanished. Jason looked at the discarded magicians and was about to drop the book and charge to get Raven when there was the sound of a door opening behind him. There was a blast of power at a demon rushing him and Jason looked over his shoulder at the kids; Jaime in particular.

"Always so bloody impulsive, it's going to get you killed one day!" Constantine snapped as he stalked down to him, Jason shrugged.

"Here, guard this, I've got a little bird to retrieve and then I'm going to be tracking one assassin down to kill her!" Jason snarled.

"And how do plan to do that, the Gem of Scath is being used as a door right now," Constantine snapped.

"With two swords and maximum effort," Jason muttered.

"Now is not the time for _Deadpool_ references," Dick said.

"Time to make the chimi-fucking-changas!" Jason called out defiantly as he ran, he twisted up as he pulled a knife to evade a demon swiping at him. He slashed it's throat before twisting low and using it as a shield against the coming demon as he pulled a gun and fired three shots through his shield and shoved it on the other. His feet were moving again and he saw the movement, he leapt, caught the ground as he launched himself into the air again and took aim. It was a magician; the one armed one, Jason pulled the trigger before he even hit the ground again, the man was dead when Jason hit the ground. Turning he narrowly evaded a dagger which had him quickly holstering his weapon. Catching his opponent's arm he snapped it before slamming his fist into the man's face and dropping him into the ground with a brutal kick.

Suddenly there was a sword lashing out beside him as he looked at the coming opponent.

"No killing!" Damian snapped.

"Too bad, so sad," he shrugged and grabbed the kid as he rolled them out of the way of a spell, he came up with a gun in hand when there was a vicious flame, the magician screamed as he vanished.

"I've got the magic, you get Raven off that thing," Constantine said.

"On it!" a blonde shouted as she flew out.

"Wait!" Jason he shouted as he ran a step behind her, not slowing even as the sand slashed through him. Raven's empathy was crippling and the girl came falling into the ground. He caught her and rolled.

"Raven's empathy is out of control, I'll handle her, just break these fucking rings," Jason shouted as he released Wonder Girl to a blur and he continued running. He winced at all the pain Raven was unleashing, he tried not to let it break him as he put a foot in front of the other, however, she was shredding his mind. Was this really everything she kept in!? How'd she live with it!?

It didn't matter, there was a blast overhead and he watched as a stone ring crumbled, Raven's magic wavered and then ceased, she fell, the ring she'd been tumbled after her and he reached out as he caught her, she hit with power and he rolled into the fall instead. He paused as he held her and shakily checked for a pulse it was steady, it was strong, she was just pale(r) than normal again.

Her jewel was missing, he looked over as he watched a gem about Raven's size sink into the ground with fiery glory.

"Falling, stupid birds," he muttered as he lifted her up.

"Thanks," she whispered, he glanced down to see her staring at him weakly with a smile and he felt a smile of his own tugging his lips.

"Time to go!" he shouted as he felt the ground giving way. A look of serine over took Raven's face even as he was grabbed by small hands and lifted.

* * *

Damian reached Jason and Raven just as Superboy released them, Jason hit the ground with a roll and skidded. Damian didn't look at the crumbling ground as he peeked at Raven who Jason released.

"She's alive, kid," Jason said.

"Whoa," Constantine whispered and Damian looked up as something started emerging through the crumbling ground.

"WHATISTHAT!?" Allen shouted and Damian looked at Raven then as her eyes flew open, she gasped and arched.

"That's Trigon," Grayson and Stone said simultaneously. The demon came floating up and levitated as a storm swirled around him. The beast suddenly landed on the ground, the earth seemed to tremble, Damian stumbled and would have fallen had a hand not grabbed him.

"Constantine!" the woman, Zed shouted.

"No I cannot exorcise that!" Constantine shouted.

"Not what I was going to say!" she shouted. "Black Orchid!"

Constantine turned and Zed leapt out of the house as the house came surging after her, black with red eyes.

"Fuck!" Constantine shouted, and then there was a wave of darkness, Raven was floating up as her eyes were glowing white, the house vanished with Black Orchid and Raven fell on the ground.

"Raven, what the hell is going on!?" Grayson snapped.

"I can seal him," Raven whispered, and looked up, Damian grabbed her arm as he helped her up and he was scared as he watched the thing's horn elongate, his fangs emerge, his smoking white head suddenly had hair and there was a monstrous thudding. "He made a mistake this time."

"What's the plan?" Damian demanded as he bounced a bit as the thing moved.

"He took my jewel," she said.

"Raven now is not the time to fret about appearances!" Grayson called out.

"No, you don't understand, that jewel is a part of me, I'm a part of it, I can seal him away," she said.

"What do you need?" Jason demanded.

"Stall him, I'll seal him away," Raven said. "And in the unlikely event that I succeed know I can recall him to his dimension at the least."

"What!?" Cy shouted.

"I might not have the strength to seal him, but I have the strength to push him back to his dimension," Raven said as she staggered up.

"Well, bird, I'm going to stay here, who's the strongest of the group?" Constantine called out and immediately he picked Superboy, Wonder Girl, Zatara, and Aqualad for his company. Raven staggered a bit.

"What is your plan?" his father demanded, and Damian looked expectantly at Raven who was focusing, a purple glow around her.

"My father separated me from myself, that Gem is not like the Nevermore, it's a part of me, it's the other part of the door, Trigon put it in his realm, I can now open the door from his realm and pull him in. I might also be able to seal him away, but I have yet to try," she said and suddenly there was a purple glowing portal.

"I hear Hell is lovely this time of year, I'm in," Jason said.

"I'm going!"

"Oooo!This'llbeanadventure!" Allen blurted out and he raced for the portal.

"Go, Gem, I've got this end should you need help, take this," Constantine said as he produced an amulet. "It'll bring you back should you run out of energy."

"Thank you," Raven said.

"I'm going," Damian stated.

"No," his father started and Damian turned to glare at his father.

"I am highly trained, I am more than capable of, and Raven is my team leader," Damian snapped.

"Very well," Raven said. "He'll be back either way," Raven stated and Damian wanted to shout he wasn't going to die. However, there was a grim look with Raven as Cyborg, Blue Beetle, Jason, Grayson, and he walked into the portal. Raven followed slowly and when they walked out of the portal Damian staggered a bit at the heat, and the screams, there was a putrid smell which had him wanting to gag.

"Just as lovely as I remember," Jason dryly commented.

"Home sweet home," Raven muttered.

"Where's this gem, little bird?" Jason asked.

"I sense it over there, at the throne," Raven pointed and Damian stared at a massive floating rectangle. He shuddered at the walk they had, and sighed.

"Let's go," Stone ordered as he jogged ahead, Damian followed and Raven walked with Jason. Grayson grabbed his shoulder.

"Stay close," Grayson ordered.

"I'm not a child!" Damian snapped.

"Shut up and do as you're told kid, because maybe, for once, an adult knows better than you," Jason snapped which had Damian narrowing his eyes on the man.

"They're here," Raven said and suddenly there was a surge of life which had Damain drawing his sword as he leapt up, Reyes fired and the worm like demons came flying out of nowhere as they descended up on them. One of them tackled him, he gave a cry of startled pain when there was a raven diving after him, wrapping around him and he found himself standing beside Jason who cackled a bit and then leapt into the action with a sword and a gun. Damian ran after him as he slashed up, decapitating one beast. He spun on another as he sliced it's outstretched jaws then he leapt up, pulling his grappling gun as he soared up.

Grayson joined him high and Damian noticed how they were all going for Raven.

"They're after her!" Damian pointed and suddenly there was a bubble of darkness then there was a wave of it, the screams were horrendous, but they weren't of the team.

"Need help little bird!?" Jason shouted, and Damian looked across from his perch to where Jason was perched.

"Keep them here," Raven ordered and then she flew upwards.

"Well, you heard the queen!" Jason cackled and leapt into the fight again.

"Follow her," Grayson ordered and Damian nodded as he pulled a grappling gun and shot it to fly after Raven who was soaring.

* * *

Dick landed beside Jason, Jason leapt up and stabbed a beast bringing it down and shooting it, Dick pulled a batarang as he threw it at the open jaws of one of the coming demons.

"So you and Raven?" Dick asked.

"What the hell!?" Jason faltered and barely ducked from a tail, Dick leaped up, twisting in the air before he dropped a small electric disk on the demon's head.

"Legitimate question!" Dick defended.

"Christ, you and demon spawn!" Jason slammed into him then and Dick was grateful for the save as a set of nasty teeth missed him.

"What!? You two are cozy!" Dick answered.

"Listen closely, Dickhead, think with the head above the shoulders, and Raven isn't my damn type!" Jason shouted as he leapt away, pulled a grappling gun and shot it at a demon which had him soaring. Dick laughed as he kicked up and came up smashing into a demon which had him rolling over the edge, he twisted around to catch himself when a hand caught him and threw him up as there was two shots fired before Jason came crashing down beside him.

"And what is your type, Jason?" Dick asked.

"I am _**never**_ having this conversation with you; _**ever**_. And you should worry about sweetness, she's gotta have better options than you so stay out of my love life, galaxies and universes out, and focus on your own!" Jason snapped as he shot something.

"You and Raven…" Dick started.

"I know how to kill you and make it look like an accident, Chuckles, want to push me when there's no highway to hell between life and death, right now?" Jason growled as he held a knife up.

"You wouldn't," Dick smirked as he pulled his fighting sticks and slammed one of them into the skull of a demon.

"I'm really tempted," Jason snarled as he fired his gun in the head of the demon.

"Raven would be pissed," Dick pointed out as he leapt up.

"I now remember why I stayed away," Jason muttered sourly and Dick smirked as he whirled around, his leg slamming into the beast and sent it rolling off course. Dick looked around and noticed that Jason was gone, how'd he do that!? Dick dove out of the way and rolled up as he narrowly evaded the snapping jaws of demon and he pulled a Taser as he tazed it. Jason flew by with a shout on a demon which was chasing Raven, and Damian.

Dick pulled out one of his cables as he shot it after the beast, Jason leapt off it and pulled a knife as he slammed into the wall. Dick followed and pulled a batarang as he threw it at the coming demons who were aiming to eat his baby brother. Suddenly Raven's energy slid up and over the wall which had Dick dropping his line as he shot another and swung up after Damian, he caught his little brother just as the wall broke and Raven disappeared up top.

* * *

Tim grabbed Stephanie as the monster just about stepped on her and launched out of the way as he skidded up to his feet by Bruce.

"We're not even slowing it, and Jon's hitting it with everything he's got," Tim panted. His recent move had been trying to tie up Trigon's legs, but the demon hadn't even slowed. Constantine was working on something too, Impulse had raced him ahead and they were trying to vainly stop him.

"I've called in the League," Bruce said.

"That's smart, I just hope Raven stops him," Tim muttered as he rubbed his throbbing jaw, he'd been creamed hard by a punch from Jon by accident; but not bone breaking hard.

"She will," Bruce said firmly.

"Here, I'll watch her," Zed said and Tim gingerly laid Stephanie down as Zed started looking her over. Tim ran after the thing, pulling a grappling gun with Bruce beside him and then they were soaring through the air as they landed on the beasts.

"Tie up it's knees," Bruce called out, and Tim reluctantly dropped as he repeated the process of swinging around it's knees, he released as he ran out of cable. He leapt to the side just as there was a blur of red, a sonic boom, and then two forces slammed into Trigon. Strong arms caught him before he hit the ground and suddenly he was on the ground with Jon, Cassie, Kaldur, and Wonder Woman staring at them.

"We've got it," the Wonder Woman said.

"Wait!" Tim called. "Constantine is doing something!"

"We know child, we're luring the demon there," Diana smiled and then she launched into the air, Tim took a shuddering breath before he collapsed. That was exhausting, Trigon was like a juggernaut, it was insane.

* * *

"They're not here," one of her subordinates informed her and Talia growled seeing that with her own eyes. It was nothing, nothing but an empty safe house with a few snubbed out cigarette butts and freshly cleaned dishes with trash in a rubbish bin.

Jason had moved.

Suddenly there was a buzz on her phone and she found herself staring at the news as her own eyes widened. The four glowing eyes, and her breath hitched.

The eyes… the eyes of the pit, the ones she'd seen when her beloved had put her in the pit, the ones her father spoke of. She trembled as her phone clattered to the ground.

They had been played, they were all fools, it was not her father's will speaking to the League of Assassins, it was that thing! Her son's companion had those very eyes.

"Get our assets in the Middle East mobilized now, there's an attack, and it looks like the League is in dire need of help!" she shouted and all the men moved out. She'd been had, it was not her father's voice speaking to her, no, she'd bet it was this monster…

* * *

Raven landed soundlessly, her empathy sensed the many demons which was why she released her full power, knocking them back as she cautiously walked forward. Everything in her was screaming this was wrong, even as she stared at her gem, a piece of her which was like her arm, floating so casually in the center of the throne.

Her father would never make it this easy, she expected something which was why she carefully started walking forward, her magic cackling at the edge of her fingers as she looked around for a sign of attack. A demon emerged and Raven felt a shudder course down her spine as she stared at a man who looked a bit like Damian; she could honestly say that Damian had his grandfather's chin.

"Impudent girl, Lord Trigon will save the world!" the demon snarled and Raven stood steadfast. "Lord Trigon is my sustainance, he's guided me to greatness, and with your death I will be given the world to shape as it should have been."

"My father's been whispering nothing but sweet nothings in your ear, he has no intention of saving the world or returning you to the world," Raven warned monotonously. However, she sensed the madness of the Pit had warped him so much he wouldn't know the truth, if this was truly Damian's grandfather then there would be no saving him.

"Wretched lying witch!" Ra's came at her with a raised sword, Raven threw a shield up as she forced the monster back and she stood there calmly. Empathy wouldn't work here, it never worked on demons or monsters, however she wasn't defenseless in this realm. If anything she had more power because of her father's power.

"Perhaps, perhaps not, but you're dead so you will never know," she said flatly. Suddenly there was a laugh behind her and she felt him as he soared over her, his blade clanging with Ra's al Ghul's.

"Long time no see Ra's! You're looking a bit decayed," Jason threw him back and Raven held her position until Jason turned to her. "I beat him once before, you do your thing I'll handle him."

"Thank you," she said softly and looked back to the center of the throne as Jason ran off. Taking a deep breath of the acidic air she moved forward, she felt the environment start forming a bridge between her and the jewel, this Hell still acknowledged her as her father's heir.

She reached for the gem when there was a head splitting voice in her head which had her crying out as the weight of power cam crushing down on her, collapsing as she clutched her head.

"Did you honestly think you could stop me girl?" his voice growled in her head, rattling her teeth as she lay there crumpled beneath her father's power.

"You are nothing, you have always been nothing, you were merely a tool to be used," Trigon's voice whispered.

"I know," she replied softly, a tear slipping the corner of her eye as she watched Jason fight Ra's again, Damian came flying up. He rolled right into the fight with Jason, and they were a blur of motion.

"You can never stop me, what made you believe you stood a chance against me?"

"Nothing, but will," she replied honestly as she struggled against the crushing weight of her father's power. If her friends were fighting she would fight too, Raven wasn't going to die without a fight! Slowly she staggered up to her feet, even as her father used a backlash of his hatred in her empathy.

"These Titans, and the Justice League, they are nothing but insects, do you honestly believe you can seal me away again," her father rumbled.

"It doesn't matter what I think, it matters what I can do. I have powers with which the likes have never been tested," she whispered the reminder as she forced herself to stand before the gem.

"Stupid girl, and where do you think your power comes from? Gem of Scath, sired to do her father's bidding!"

"My mother possessed the power to summon you, my magic is from her, my empathy is from her, and as I told you the first time, you created me, but you are not my father!" she hissed as she fought the stabbing pain in her brain as her father again sent another wave of power to cripple her, Raven staggered up though and didn't fall.

"You think your friends, your family, can stop me now that I've escaped, but you are nothing but a worthless pathetic girl. They are nothing but insects."

"You're right, I'm the Gem of Scath, and I would give my life for my real family, which is why I can stand here now, even as you crush me. I'm not your daughter," she snarled as she sent up her own power to push against his.

"I'm a Titan! And that is why, even if it kills me, I will stop you!" Raven hissed as she staggered to look at her tiny floating jewel. "For even you cannot fight all my will."

"You cannot stop me. Your friends will perish, and suffer, I will force you to watch. You cannot stop me for soon all your souls will belong to me, as will your world. You are nothing and do not possess the power to stop me," Trigon growled.

"Perhaps not, but I can bring you back and stay here so you have no entry to any world."

"You do not have the strength, even now you waver. Give up, Raven, you can never beat me, you and I are meant to be together, forever. You do not possess the strength to stop me. You will never have the strength to stop me, foolish girl. Just like your mother."

"Yes, I waver, because once I wanted to love you and thought I would be loved in return. But all your capable of bringing is pain, so I will bring you pain as well," she whispered. And then she unleashed all her empathy, let it hit her father's psyche at full force to distract him as she felt him stumbling in agony.

"And it is because you have brought me pain that I have found my friends, friends I would give my life fore, friends I would die for, and friends I love," she said and staggered to a stop before her gem. "But you will never know love, or feel it, so I will just have to keep you from my friends and family."

"You will perish."

"Perhaps, perhaps not, but you will not stop me from trying to save my family," Raven murmured and she held her hands out as her eyes emerged, the white glow filling her of her magic, and she levitated a bit as the energy swirled around her.

"This time I will not only banish you, I will seal you away forever!" she hissed firmly. Even if it killed her she was going to trap him in the gem he was so fond of, and she was going to seal him away for good so he could never harm another.

Her native tongue tasted bitter sweet as she touched her gem, feeling her soul infuse with it as she lifted it from her fingers. The small ruby angrily whirled in the air and Raven spread her arms as she let her power and her soul wrap around it.

Chanting in her native tongue she felt her father's first flick of worry.

* * *

"Grandfather!?" Damian wavered when he landed, Jason shoved the kid out of the way as he took a nasty slash across his back then was stabbed through the gut, Jason cried out in pain. He slammed his elbow back into Ra's' face and forced the man to release the blade which had Jason spinning away.

Well, fuck! This was going to hurt like a bitch and bleed, but he didn't think there was anything vital hit which had him gritting his teeth as he reached back and dragged the blade out.

"Yes Damian, it is I," Ra's spoke.

"Don't listen to him kid, Ra's is dead," Jason spat out the blood as he swung his newly acquired blade in an arch before looking at Ra's with hard eyes. "Heard Deathstroke got the drop on you, and the Pit's good, but it's not that good. I'm guess you're Ra's soul but also a demon."

"Red…" Damian looked confused.

"Welcome to hell kid, don't believe what you see," Jason snarled, there was a dagger flying at him, Jason rolled out of the way as he came up and slashed the swords, Ra's leapt away and Jason grinned viciously behind his helmet.

"Guard little bird, baby bird," Jason ordered as he ignored his pain.

"But…" Damian protested.

"Kid, it's not that you can't handle a false Ra's but this is personal, I'm just itching to destroy you, again, Ra's," Jason chuckled. He might have beaten Ra's the first time, but now it was the rematch which had him throwing a sword at Ra's as Jason sheathed his and pulled his Fairbain from his belt and smiled.

"Broke our deal Ra's, and you should know that even death doesn't cancel our deal," Jason snarled.

"You are nothing but a street rat," Ra's said primly.

"I kicked your ass once, I'm about to do it again," Jason went low and he moved fast, ignoring the pain as he rolled out of the way of the sword and came up with a slash. He was relentless now as he blocked, moved, aiming to sever tendons and ligaments like he would if he was fighting a human. However Ra's' animated body didn't work that way.

Catching his wrist Ra's tried to skewer him again but Jason slammed his head into the taller man's jaw then slammed his knee into the man's groin. Ra's crippled momentarily but it was long enough to have Jason slamming his knee into the demon's jaw and send Ra's skittering away.

"Get up you pathetic animation," he snapped as he picked up his discarded knife.

Ra's was up and stabbed him again with the blade but Jason was not deterred as he slashed the man's throat, no blood spraying over him, and twisted his head. Leaning in close he decided to give his parting message.

"The Bat brats are off limits, even the demon brat," Jason hissed before he released the staggering animation and kicked him into a post which came to life with demons clawing at him, the animated form of Ra's struggled, screaming as he fought but Jason knew there was no escaping that. Finally, Ra's' poorly animated ghost was gone which had Jason collapsing on the ground as he let out a shuddering breath and left the sword where it was sheathed in him. Gingerly he pulled off his helmet, well fuck this hurt, and probably required surgery.

"Jason!" Dick shouted, weakly he lifted his head and groaned, the thing he did for the fucking family.

"I'm fine," he muttered, then there was a surge of black up through the clouds and there was so much power hitting him, that he looked at Raven who had her four eyes our, glowing white. There was a clap of roaring thunder overhead.

"You are not fine! You have a sword in your chest!" Dick snapped.

"Don't touch it," Jason hissed the warning, it hurt like the fucking devil but he could handle it so long as it plugged whatever holes would be leaking for now. Damian was defending Raven and the others finally reached them.

"WHOA! Youhaveaswordinyourchest!" the speedster blurted out.

"I hadn't noticed," Jason snarled.

"Don't remove it, according to my scan it's not hitting anything but tampering with it might kill you, you're lucky it's missed your heart and lungs," Cyborg said.

"Well, fuck," Jason muttered. "Stop standing here, help the demon spawns, I'm fine!" Jason snapped at Dick and the others there as he pulled a cigarette out and lit it. If he was dying, and that was an if, he was going to have a fucking smoke.

"What happened?"

"Some poor excuse of a poor animation of Ra's al Ghul happened," he snapped at Cyborg. "And defend her! I'm fine!"

"You are not fine."

"Shit just went a wee bit sideways, I'm conscious, not bleeding profoundly, and smoking, go, I can and will defend myself if need be," he snapped and Cyborg reluctantly walked away. Jason groaned as he tried not to move because of the pain.

There was a horrific scream and all demons scattered, he looked up at Raven then.


	23. I'm Not the Princess of Hell, I'm the Queen

**I'm Not the Princess of Hell, I'm the Queen…**

"Grant Me the Strength of Mighty Azarath, To Contain the Mighty Demon, Trigon, Within The Gem of Scath, Now and Forever," Raven pleaded as she released her soul up. The blast of energy surged upwards and she opened her eyes as she looked through her soul's eyes.

She surged up as she broke the barrier between this Hell and Earth as she stretched her power, a cry escaped her as she surrounded her father, let her emblem fly in the air for a moment. He glared at her as he shot fire at her, she slid apart as she dove for him, he hit her, but she didn't feel any of the hits. At least, she didn't until he unleashed a curse for her.

Diving she continued to wrap around him, sinking him down, she struggled to hold him as her father fought her, his claws tearing into her soul. The pain was excruciating as it felt like she were being ripped apart, however she was more willful, she might not get him to gem, he might rip her soul apart before she could get him to the shard. But so long as she got him off of earth she'd consider that a win.

There was a ear bleeding scream which had her eyes flying open as she looked in the hell she was in and she sent out a wave of energy as she wrapped her friends up in protection and pushed the demons away. Her eyes looked up and again her soul self was struggling to drag her obstinate father down to Hell.

However she was not done.

Suddenly there was a blast of magic around her father, a circle with ancient writings burned over head.

Her father shot fire at it and she surged to wrap herself over his eyes as she pulled harder to drag him down.

"You're not welcome here," she heard a voice shout and then Raven screamed with her father as there was a slam of magic which had her father's footing on earth giving and Raven dragged him down with all her force. She snarled a bit, and she felt the sweat roll down her heated skin as she kept her focus, her father struggled, gravity aided Raven's pull on him though. Trigon screamed and hit the tiny shard of a gem with full force knocking her and everyone around off their feet. She rolled a bit and lay there gasping for air.

"Raven!" Damian touched her shoulder, her eyes snapped open, only two eyes, she was next to drain, she had enough energy to heal immediate wounds and get her friends home.

"Ow," she muttered as she lifted a shaky hand to her brow.

"You alright Rae?" Victor demanded as he helped her up, he was already scanning over her body.

"I'm fine," Raven dismissed and she slowly got to her feet as she looked at her friends, her eyes landed on Jason.

"Jason!" she shouted, flying she snatched up her gem as she landed beside him.

"Hey," he smiled weakly, blood slipping from his lips and she used her empathy to check him over, it was the wound in his chest, her blast of magic to protect them had knocked the sword in his chest a bit and he'd punctured a lung.

"I can fix this temporarily, but when I get you home you have to go to a surgeon," she muttered as she wrapped her magic around the sword, her hand resting on his heart which was beating rapidly and his breathing was a bit labored and shallow.

"What? I can't just stay here, short trip," he chuckled weakly.

"I'm kicking you out," she stated coldly.

"Aw… rats," he winced.

"Shut it Red," she ordered.

"But you love…" he started when she yanked the sword from his chest, he gasped and she pushed a lot of her remaining energy into him as she focused on patching him up to get him home. Finally done she slumped back as she took a steadying breath.

"Ow," he muttered.

"You're a pain in the ass," she snapped as she got to her feet and offered him a hand. He took it, but leaned heavily on her.

"Did it work at least, princess?" he asked and she held up an angry red jewel as he limped with her, her team was assembling in the center where she had performed the ritual.

"Yes, surprisingly," she said noticing the four furious narrow eyes in it and she gingerly released the Gem and it surged to it's rightful place on her brow which had her shaking her head at the sudden rush of anger, fury and power before she had her mental shields up; she'd lock her father away when she had the Nevermore.

"Well, I guess this means you're official," Jason grinned.

"I'm official what?" she asked as they neared the group.

"You're no longer the Princess of Hell," he mused and winced.

"That's assuming I was ever a princess in the first place," she countered as she paused for him to catch his breath.

"You're the fucking Queen of Hell, little bird," he smirked.

"Of course I am, I've got this shit handled," she smiled slightly and he laughed.

"Don't make me laugh," he muttered. "And it's official, as a former member of Hell, I like you much better than the devil."

"I'll be sure to tell him," Raven breathed as he suddenly seemed to collapse on her.

"Good, and as my newly appointed, benevolent queen I beg you to just let me die, it hurts," he hissed.

"Not happening, come on," she dragged him along and stopped at the group. Panting from exhaustion she looked over the kids.

"It's over," she said. "Thank you, I'll get you home."

Dick slipped Jason's weight on his shoulders which caused Jason to groan in pain.

"Fuck that hurts," he muttered.

"And what about you?" Damian asked.

"I will remain here," she said softly as she centered herself again. "I'm going to keep an eye on my father, and if I'm here he can't go anywhere."

"No!" Dick and Damian shouted at her, the others were just staring at her.

"Well if you're staying I'm staying, I refuse to live life in a Terra Tower without someone keeping her in check," Jaime announced which had Raven folding her eyes and arching a brow at him.

"You stay I stay, cuts the middle man out," Jason smiled a bit.

"Oh no, you're going to the doc's," Dick snapped.

"I'm staying," Cy said.

"You're all going," Raven said as she lifted her hand and summoned the portal.

"Oh no, you're coming Queeny," Jason hissed as he shoved off Dick and grabbed her wrist, she gasped as everyone ran through the portal. They stumbled through the portal, Jason keeping firm hold of her wrist when the portal slammed shut. She staggered a bit when she was hit by her power drainage, in her father's realm her demon had strength, now she was just sapped and exhausted, and she wanted a shower.

"Jason," she growled.

"If I have to deal with Bats, you have to deal with this world," he muttered.

"That's not even close to how this works," she murmured as she felt her world waver.

"Agreed, life sucks," he muttered, Jason pitched forward, slamming into her and Raven just fell with his weight, too tired to fight it as she hit the ground.

"FATHER!" she heard Damian scream and Raven felt a pulsing headache on her brow as she finally just gave in and let the darkness drag her under. She felt calm hands touching her and she felt the cool water hitting her lips as Jason's weight was lifted off of her.

Azar she was tired, she just wanted to disappear and never deal with this again. She wanted to sleep for a century and wake to all of this being a bad dream.

"I'm Booming us to the Tower, you got surgical expertise?" she heard Cy shouting.

"Yes," was the calm answer.

"Good, they've both got a lot of internal damage and it's hitting them now," Victor snapped. Suddenly there were firm hands on her, carefully lifting her up until she was laid out on something and Raven whimpered a bit at the pain of being moved.

Everything finally hit her, from the rings, and it felt like she'd really been hit by a freight train. Azar, did she hurt. Jason's pain hit her in full force and she felt he was unconscious which had her trying to syphon it off as she tried to give him comfort, however even that minimal effort cost her as she finally just gave up and let oblivion drag her under. It was alright for her to give in, she'd fought hard, and she still had a fight coming on her hands. Her father wouldn't be escaping so she didn't have to worry about that, yet.

* * *

Bruce trembled a bit as he, Dick and Constantine got Jason on a Titan surgery table, Jason just grunted.

"You have got to lay off the chips," Constantine hissed. "You handle him, I'll help the Gem of Scath, and do not let this wanker die before I give him a piece of my mind!"

Constantine was gone, Dick was grabbing the needed equipment as he started scanning Jason over. Bruce did a mental assessment of what was the most important patch they needed to do before they got Jason to the doc's.

"Is he… healing?" Dick whispered as they stared at some of the scans and Bruce frowned. Something in him clicked and it was disconcerting.

"The Lazarus Pit," he said. He didn't know why it hadn't clicked earlier, but then he remembered the brutal efficiency Jason used in a fight, and his marksmanship.

"You… oh fuck," Dick winced and they leaned over, Bruce checked the immediate injuries of his son, they were healing, not rapidly but faster than normal, it had to be the Pit. If it was that mean Ra's had known about his son, had kept his son from him, and a cold fury fill Bruce at the thought. This was his son, a young man he didn't even get to see grow into a man, and the League of Assassins had held him and kept him from him.

"Keep an eye on him, monitor his vitals, keep him sedated," Bruce ordered softly as he hurried into the other room.

"Clear!" Cyborg shouted, and Raven's body was electrocuted, Bruce saw the kids gathered at the window anxiously staring.

"And she's back, this fucking demon's being a wee bit counterproductive to his daughter's healing, but she'll live," Constantine muttered.

"And you know this how?" Victor demanded and Bruce picked up the scans of Raven that were available.

"Because a demon, even a half demon of her power, is really fucking hard to kill, I've got a charm," Constantine looked through his jacket then. "Here, which will help her healing; again."

"Thanks man."

"How's Jay?" Constantine demanded.

"He was resurrected with the Lazarus Pit," Bruce stated.

"Yes and no, Jason doesn't know how he came back to life, and neither do I, he was bathed in the Lazarus Pit though, and he's a truly a perfect resurrection of the Pit, he heals, and he's been unlocked to his full potential, it's my understanding he was a malnourished, scrawny kid, he's now a grown man. And while he cheats death more than you; I only want to know how he is," Constantine stated firmly.

"He's healing," Bruce said and Constantine looked at Raven.

"I hope it's the Pit and not the demon," Constantine muttered and Bruce frowned a bit. He didn't always understand the Magic in this world, but he'd talked to Dr. Fate enough to know Magic was a science all of it's own. Also, there was a hierarchy in the magical community for power.

"I'm going to keep an eye on Jason," Bruce murmured as he left, Dick had Jason sedated and an ultrasound on Jason's chest.

"It's… not fast, but the internal bleeding is slowed, and he's healing on his own Bruce," Dick said.

Bruce grunted. "Let's get him to the infirmary," Bruce said softly as he gingerly touched Jason's brow and then gently peeled off the domino mask.

"God, he looks so young," Dick whispered. There was a stubborn streak of white in that raven hair, and a slight curl even though his hair was sweat soaked. But yes, his son looked like the youth he was when he was like this, free of his demons. It was also now that Bruce actually noticed how large Jason was, it was clear his son was a large man, even on surveillance tapes, but Bruce hadn't appreciated just how large he was.

Jason was his size, narrower in the chest and hips, and perhaps a bit broader in the shoulders, but his son's height was about his. Bruce felt a pang of regret, he'd always wanted to see Jason grown up, and when he'd died he'd been hitting that growth spurt. Fifteen, angry, volatile and ready to take on the world with no help. That's what Bruce remembered the most.

Now he was a young man of twenty or twenty-one; he didn't know if death had stalled his son's age, and he fought the world without help and didn't ask. Who had taught him how to shave? Who had taught him how to take care of himself? Who had taught him how to cook? Had anyone given him the 'talk', because Bruce had barely managed the basics before Jason had died!? Who had raised him? Had anyone been there for him?

Bruce regretted picking the Joker, but more than that, he felt a cold fury at Ra's for having kept his son from him. Bruce had dreamt of watching Jason grow up, of seeing the man, the potential for that child to bloom, God he'd wanted to see Jason grow up so bad.

Now he was here, he was taller than Dick, he snapped, and snarled, he cooked, he was friends with Raven, Constantine, Zed, and a man named Chad, and role model to Damian, and a complete mystery to Bruce. And Bruce would give anything to change that.

"Who raised him?" Bruce whispered and Dick stopped. "He was fifteen and hitting that growth spurt, now he's a grown man and taller than you. We missed so much, I messed it all up. Did he have to do it all on his own, or was there someone there for him?"

"Bruce…" Dick started.

"I never thought about it, and just now… who raised him? Was he alone all this time, or did someone in the League of Assassins take him in and help him? Did he ever have anyone?" Bruce murmured.

"I don't know," Dick admitted. "I just know he's back, I got my baby brother back and I'm going to be a better brother for him."

Bruce nodded in agreement, he would figure this out.

* * *

"The sensors went off," Kori flew into his arms after he had gotten Jason settled, Damian had slipped into Jason's bed after having showered (Bruce and he had ordered the shower and check up before Damian got to sleep).

"Yeah," he hugged her tight and savored having her here. "Hey," he pulled her away, she floated there looking concerned. "Raven's… Raven's injured, I don't know how bad it is, but Vic's with her, as is an exorcist."

"What!?"

"You saw the news?" he asked; because he'd bet his entire trust fund that it had been all over the news about Trigon's entry to eart again.

"Yes," she said slowly. "Raven defeated her father, I saw the footage."

"Yeah well, she took a lot of hits and she's completely drained of Magic, her and Jason took the most hits, they're both in the infirmary, Bruce and Dami are with Jason, Raven's under Cy's monitoring. Constantine's set up a barrier or something trapping Raven in a room so as to sever empathy links she may or may not have because Constantine thinks she was syphoning energy off of Jay and healing him instead of herself. Also she's sealed her father away in the gem on her brow so just… just be careful with her for now, until she's awake," he said.

"Of course!" Kori gasped as she trembled and he wrapped his arms around her again as he just held her tight.

"Thanks, I… I need a shower and then I'm going to sit with the family," Dick said and he looked up at Kori. "Watch after Raven," he softly told her and she flew past him without another word. He didn't know what to do with the Titans right now, he was just going to shower and sit with Jason for the time being.

Tim and Stephanie were with Bruce, and they'd called Alfred and Cassie before he left.

Dick paused when he turned the corner and saw Barbara coming.

"Is it true!?" she gasped.

"Yeah, Jason's… he's alive," Dick smiled weakly and she sat there.

"And he's Red Hood and Red X!?" she demanded.

"Babs…" he started.

"I don't like this Dick! He's a criminal, he's a murderer!" she hissed and he grabbed her chair which stopped her and he loomed over her. He knew he'd never be able to intimidate Barbara, but he could get a point across to her.

"I don't care, Barbara, and he was tossed in the Lazarus Pit, when he wakes up, even if I have to knock Bruce out and give Jason the cash to live on the run, you will not be arresting him. I don't care who he's killed or what he's done, he's my baby brother and he's here to stay. He's resting right now Barbara, and Raven's in critical condition, no stress in this Tower right now, and you're in charge of the kids who aren't on Raven's team for the time being," Dick said.

"Jason's dangerous," Barbara warned lowly.

"No shit he's dangerous," Dick retorted as he walked to the showers. He remembered seeing Jason fight, as a kid he's always been brutal, but what he'd witnessed today was calculated brutality. It wasn't like Tim who inflicted a calculated maximum damage in his fights, and it wasn't like him or Bat's, it was like Damian. Jason fought like Damian, but unlike Damian who was reigning in his brutal killer instinct, Jason wasn't. Jason lashed out to kill and he was efficient, taking hits and wounds which should have knocked him down and out and yet he kept coming.

Stripping himself of his gear Dick just stood under the spray before he washed his hair of the demon guts and acid feeling of the Hell he'd been in and just scrubbed. Bruce's questions swirling in his mind until he was just sitting beneath the cold spray of a shower.

Jason had stolen his Red X suit.

Jason had forced Bruce to pick.

Jason had attacked without mercy.

Jason had laughed at something Raven said.

Jason had scolded Damian and not been stabbed.

Whoever he was now was different from who he had been, and Dick… Dick wished desperately he hadn't been such an ass to his baby brother back then. Jason had needed a brother, Dick hadn't wanted to be a brother, and now Jason had not only died a stranger, but was now a true stranger to them all.

However, Dick knew Jason had seen and at least liked the movie _Deadpool_.

It wasn't much but it was a start. With that in mind he shut off the shower and stood up as he toweled off and walked to the lockers to grab some clean sweats before returning to the medical bay where Jason was resting. Damian was using Jason's arm for a pillow while Bruce was holding Jason's free hand.

"He's not so scary like this," Tim commented.

"Jay isn't scary," Stephanie yawned.

"Hey, you two, go hit the showers, then come back I'll get us some cots," Dick ordered and he watched the two teens as they reluctantly did as they were told and left. Jason grumbled, tried to move his hand and arm, Dick just stared for a long moment.

This was his baby brother, and he was alive. Jason was alive! Dick didn't stop the tears from rolling as he collected cots for Tim and Stephanie and then grabbed a chair to sit on the opposite side of Bruce. Damian opened a sleepy eye then.

"Where's Raven?" Damian asked sleepily.

"She's critical Damian, her body's been through a lot this past week, it's hitting her hard," Dick said and gently brushed his baby brother's hair off his brow.

"Will she be alright?"

"Yeah, she's Raven, daughter of Trigon, she's not going anywhere," Dick assured the younger boy.

"I don't want to be a big brother," Damian whispered.

"We'll talk about it in the morning Damian, and it's not so bad, trust me," Dick smiled weakly. Damian nodded before he shut his eye's and burrowed into Jason's side which had Jason grumbling and shifting.

* * *

Jason woke feeling two things which set him in a fast panic: Pinned and Crowded. He bolted up with a gasp, tossing a startled Damian off of him and ripping his hand from Bruce as Jason furious detangled himself from wires and scrambled out of the bed. His feet hit the cold tiles, his heart slamming in his ribs, his breath labored, and his blood roaring in his ears as he pulled away from them to catch his breath.

Fuck!

He wasn't dead, his mind whispered and as he fell on the tile with the Bats' all watching him with startled, half awake expressions he trembled as he sat there and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Hey there nutter, I see you're awake," a nonchalant voice said.

"Jason!" a woman gasped and he found himself wrapped up in the motherly hug of Zed. "Don't you ever do anything that idiotic again! You scared me half to death! I would have been here sooner but I had to help Black Orchid and Constantine told me about Raven and I've spent an hour trying to see her future and then he tells me about you!"

"Sorry Zed," he breathed and then he shoved her off him as he scrambled into the corner and pressed his back to it as he focused on the breathing exercises Talia taught him. Zed isn't put off by him as she sat at his feet. He knew she'd seen his nightmare when she'd touched him, Zed had a habit of seeing things she shouldn't when she touched people, it was annoying really but at least she understood why he wanted space.

"It's alright, and when you're up to it you can come stay with us, Chad will be happy to have you, as will Black Orchid, and Constantine; though I think he mostly wants you there to cook for him," Zed said.

"You do too, love, don't make it out like I'm the only one!" Constantine protested and Jason felt his lips quirk a bit as he slowly relaxed.

"Just get married already," he ordered in a strained voice.

"Rather not," they replied and he laughed.

"Thanks Zed, but I'm good, I'll visit some other time," he said as he dragged a shaky hand through his hair.

"Jason?" he looked over at the Bats and groaned.

"Perhaps sooner, can you bust me out?" he asked Zed.

"Of course, where they sending you?"

"Probably Arkham," he answered.

"I'll have Constantine arrange it," Zed promised as she glared over at the Bats.

"You're not being arrested Jason," Dick said.

"Uh-huh," he nodded skeptically. "Hey, mind sharing one?" Jason asked Constantine who pulled a cigarette out, the blond produced another and lit it for him. Jason took a steadying breath as he tasted a familiar comfort of nicotine.

"You should stop that, it'll kill you?" Tim piped up.

"I'd like a moment with Jason alone," Bruce spoke and Jason released an uneasy breath. Zed shot him a look, as did Constantine and Jason looked straight at Bruce. Dick was dragging all the Batbrats out and Jason saw Damian struggling not to leave.

"Just be ready to bust me out please," he muttered sourly but they nodded as Constantine helped Zed up and they left him alone with Bruce. A man he'd been aiming to avoid for all of eternity if he could. Constantine and Zed would probably even adopt him if he asked, just so he could live in the House of Mystery and avoid Bruce. However, at this point it was just best to get this over with and plan his jail break accordingly. It wasn't like there was a prison actually capable of holding him; it might be difficult but he would escape.

"Jason, I..." Bruce slowly approached him and Jason slowly got to his feet, at least now he and Bruce were the same size making that intimidation factor Bruce had held over him as a kid obsolete now.

"I'm not interested, either arrest me, beat the shit out of me, or leave," Jason hissed lowly.

"Jason, I'm not arresting you, and I'm not beating the shit out of you, and I'm not leaving, you're my son," Bruce said carefully.

"I'm no one's son," he snapped.

"Jason that's not true, you're my son."

"I stopped being your son the moment you picked the Joker! The Joker Bruce! A man who's filled cemeteries! He's killed more people in this world than any other criminal, including some war lords! He's created genocide repeatedly in Gotham and you picked him! You even hurt me to save my murderer!" Jason shouted. "I am not your son so don't you fucking dare to say that I am!"

"Jason, if I could go back to that day I'd have done it all differently," Bruce said calmly.

"Lemme guess, you'd have knocked the clown out, and me, attempted to disarm my bomb, kept me sedated while you put the Joker somewhere the cops could find him then arrested me as the Red Hood and get me landed in a cell in Arkham (because I happen to know I was, and still am certifiably nuts at the time, less so now though), and I'd have been stuck right next to the fucking Joker!" Jason snapped furiously.

Bruce blinked and Jason knew that he had hit the proverbial nail on the head.

"Un-fucking-believable, even now you'd still pick the fucking Joker, my killer, a man who brutally beat me to death with a crow bar and blew me up for good measure, over me. You know, I know I wasn't and still am not the best person, but even I stand by no one deserving that!" Jason snarled.

"I wanted to kill him, Jason, after your death, I wanted to kill him so bad," Bruce whispered.

"Then why didn't you, it's one of those things which would actually be doing the world a favor, I think Joker's reaching the point of being on level with Adolf Hitler, but Joker's doing it without all the fucking help!" Jason shouted. "If it wasn't for me, why not do it for all the people he is going to kill and all the other people he has killed! Don't they fucking matter!?"

"Jason," Bruce grabbed hiss waving arms and held him still which had every defensive fiber in Jason ready for an attack and to lash out. "I didn't kill him because it's what he wants, he wants to be killed, he wants to break us all down and twist us so we kill him. I didn't kill him because to do so gives him exactly what he wants. I also didn't kill him because… because I didn't want to shame your memory. I didn't want the Joker to take you away from me completely. I do not expect you to understand, Jason, but I expect you to listen to what I'm telling your right now.

"I was trying to save you from doing something you'd regret, I was trying to save you from yourself, and I see now that that was wrong. You are my son Jason and I will do whatever I can to protect you, to teach you, and to help you. Killing the Joker gets you nothing," Bruce said.

"Would have let me stay in Gotham," Jason retorted and yanked himself from Bruce's grasp as he took a steading breath of the nicotine so he didn't lose his edge.

"Those will kill you," Bruce plucked it from him and snubbed it out.

"No worse than a fucking crowbar to the lungs, and stop it, I only stress smoke so I don't go on Lazarus raging killing sprees, because right now it's really fucking tempting and the Queen is out and can't stop me should I lose it." Jason smiled menacingly as he stepped out Bruce's personal space.

"So it was the Lazarus Pit," Bruce muttered.

"Yes and no, and none of your fucking business Bruce," Jason growled lowly and saw his pants which had him relieved as he carefully yanked them on.

"Come home Jason," Bruce said.

"Not my home, not my family, and you're not my father," Jason growled as he sat on the hospital bed and felt exhausted again. His body was healing still, but he was tired of talking to Bruce.

"Jason, you're my son, the Manor is your home, and you have three brothers, a sister, Alfred and Selina who would be more than happy to have you home."

"Not my home! This planet is not big enough for me and the Joker, let alone Gotham, and once I figure out how to get close to the fucker without breaking down I'm killing him," Jason hissed.

"Jason," Bruce said lowly.

"Where's Raven?" Jason asked.

"In a separate room, she's healing," Bruce answered.

"Good, I'll be in her room since you can't go in there," Jason snapped.

"Master Jason," a new, calm voice said.

" _ **Oh. You. Have. Got. To. Be.**_ _**FUCKING ME**_ _ **!**_ " he roared as he dragged his hands through his hair. there was a God up there, and He really hated Jason, that was Jason's only conclusion because while he could fight and hate Bruce he couldn't even put the energy into hating Alfred.

Glaring up at the ceiling he frowned.

"I'm having a talk with the little bird when she wakes up about her cruel and unusual punishments to her subjects in hell, because I don't think I left," he muttered.


	24. Deadpool, Minions, and Waffles

**Deadpool, Minions, and Waffles…**

"Language Master Jason," Alfred said walking forward and Jason glared at the ceiling as he wished very suddenly that Deathstroke would appear and kill him or Talia or any of the numerous other's he'd pissed off in the past six years.

"I'm so pleased to see you," Alfred said and Jason was shocked when he found himself wrapped up in a hug. He stiffened for a moment but slowly wrapped his arms around Alfred. Hating Alfred was impossible, it really, truly was, he had tried, that's how he knew it was impossible as he closed his eyes and just held onto the man.

"I think you'd be the only one, Al," he muttered sourly as he glared at Bruce and released the old man.

"That is not true Master Jason, and you know it, and you should be resting, so get back into bed," Alfred ordered.

"Now wait a second! I'm fine! I'm not dying and I do not need to rest with him in the damn room!" Jason protested and he was given 'that' look by Alfred. The stoic British look which was a cross of indifference and disappointment which had him groaning as he fell back on the bed to just appease the old man and to be left alone! This was why he hadn't come back, it really was, he didn't do families and he didn't deal with Bruce, but here he was.

"Wise decision Master Jason, now I will get the proper equipment and check you over myself," Alfred said as he strode off. Jason gaped as he then snarled and rubbed his eyes and counted to ten. He was FINE GODDAMNIT! He'd been dead! He knew when he was dying and he wasn't, now would be an ideal time to escape and leave, or hang out in Raven's room because her powers would keep everyone away from him.

"That's low and cheating and I'm still escaping before you pitch my ass in Arkham with my killer," Jason growled at Bruce.

"Jason, I am not putting you in Arkham!" Bruce sighed.

"Bullshit! You picked that fucker over a kid you claimed was your son!" Jason snapped.

"Language Master Jason," Alfred called out. Jason groaned as he let his head hang, there was no way in hell today could get worse.

"You're…" a voice whispered and his head snapped up as he recognized those green eyes and that short dark hair.

"Well… fuck, anyone else?" Jason snapped at Bruce. Then there were arms around him again and he stiffened as lips were pressed to his temple.

"You're alive!" Selina grinned.

"I hadn't noticed, I think I'm still trapped in Hell," Jason muttered. He'd always had a soft spot for Selina Kyle, she was from the same shitty area of Gotham as he was, and she was a bit more street than Bruce. She had understood the real world and street justice was sometimes the only justice available. However, Jason did not like being blindsided by everyone.

"I thought you were in Gotham," Bruce said.

"Alfred said you had Jason here, and I wanted to see him," Selina said happily. "Besides I wanted to try to talk to Damian before you and Dick did something stupid or forget that he's a child who needs support too."

"I need no one's support, especially not my father's harlot's support!" Damian hissed, Jason turned to see the kid run out then and he sighed. He didn't have a clue what was going on, however he didn't tolerate the kid having that attitude or insulting Selina (who was the best woman Bruce had ever hooked up with or been involved with) and who was overall a good woman, a harlot. That was like calling Raven a whore, or Talia a bitch. And though Jason was not fond of Talia, and he did think her to be a bitch and many other things he'd never say aloud in company, he wouldn't stand for the kid to be disrespectful.

Jason caught Damian as he ran for a closed room and saw Raven; again levitating and with Starfire and Cyborg before he gingerly shut the door and held onto Damian's arm.

"Let Go Of Me!" Damian snapped and clawed at his hand, Jason didn't as he dragged the kid along, he hissed when the kid bit him and glared at Damian.

"Did You Seriously Just Bite ME?" he growled as he lifted the kid by his arm off the ground.

"Let Me Go!" Damian snapped.

"Shut up kid, and if you think to bite me again I'll be pitching your ass out a window," he warned as they walked into the elevator, Damian was still clawing at his hand but Jason didn't release the kid as he hit the button to the roof. Making it to the roof he threw the kid a bit out of the elevator and stared down at him.

"Now you listen closely kid," he snarled as he grabbed the brat's ear. "I don't care if the woman is a whore, an old lady or a baby girl, you never call a woman of any standing a harlot, understood?"

"She's just a whore!" Damian snapped. Jason twisted his ear a bit.

"I don't fucking care! You do not ever treat or call a woman that," Jason warned. "Would you call Raven a harlot?"

"She doesn't get offended!" Damian defended. Jason frowned as his eyes narrowed on the kid.

"Listen closely brat, you will go back to that room, you will apologize to Selina, and you will promise to call her nothing less than Miss Kyle if you have nothing else to call her. And when Raven wakes up, you will then be going to Raven and apologizing to her as well and assuring her that you will never again call her anything less than Raven. Understood?"

"But…!" Damian started.

"Understood?" Jason growled lowly as he held a bit tighter causing Damian to wince.

"Yes!" he squeaked.

"Good, you treat women like ladies regardless of what they do for a living."

"Even Harley Quinn?"

"Yes, even Harley Quinn," he grounded out in disgust. If he ever had a chance he'd kill her slowly and painfully just to fuck with the Joker, however, for it to fuck with the Joker that would have to mean the Joker cared, and Jason knew he didn't. Harley was just another thing he had broken and kept breaking.

"Now, what the hell was that about and what bug decided to crawl up your ass to have you going Assassin Prince again?" Jason asked releasing Damian's ear and standing at his full height to loom over the kid.

"Father is having a child with Kyle," Damian snarled.

"And that affects you how?" Jason asked as he wished for a cigarette right about now. The ten year old glared at him as if this had an obvious problem in it.

"Father does not need me to be his heir, he will have a child with Kyle and no longer need me!" Damian said and Jason saw tears in the kid's eyes which had him praying for patience he didn't have.

"You do know he's not discarding you, right kid?" he asked. He just discarded me, Jason thought bitterly.

"Does it matter, father clearly wants a better heir, one he raises," Damian bitterly stated and Jason knelt before the kid.

"Look shorty, Bruce, for all of his epic asshole selfishness, wouldn't discard you and I'm pretty sure he loves you," Jason placed a firm hand on the kid's shoulder forcing Damian to look at him. "He's not dumping you, he's having another kid, difference."

"How can you be sure?" Damian muttered.

"Take it from someone who's thrown away, you're not going anywhere. Now, we're going back to my room, where you're going to apologize to Selina and tell Bruce you're going to be a good big brother," Jason said as he stood. Damian looked up at him seriously for a moment.

"You're a good brother," Damian said.

"We are not brothers. I'm not Bruce's kid." He grounded out and they walked for the elevator. Jason got so fucking tired of having to be the responsible adult, he was going to bust out and blow something up to feel better about this. Once in the elevator he leaned on the wall and tried to just clear his head before he did or said something stupid.

"I'm not supposed to be dealing with this shit," he muttered lowly when the elevator doors opened and he grabbed the kid who was dragging his feet and hauled him to the room again. Selina looked up when they walked in and Jason shoved the kid forward and folded his arms as he outwaited the brat.

"I apologize for calling you a harlot," Damian muttered sourly.

"And?" Jason prompted.

"And I will be a good big brother." Damian was glaring daggers at him but Jason didn't care.

"Well, my good deed of the year is done I'm off, later!" Jason gave a sloppy salute to leave so he could steal one of Dick's shirts and make it to a safe house before getting out of the country.

"Master Jason sit down now!" Alfred said and Jason tensed.

"I will be checking over your wounds, myself, I am an old man and worry," Alfred said. Jason scowled.

"This is cheating," he hissed at the Bats as he sat on his bed again and was being prodded by Alfred. If it were anyone but Alfred he'd already be gone, he'd say his goodbyes to Raven and be off to find Talia to remind her just who had trained him and how well trained he was because of her. However, it was Alfred, and he would endure it because it was Alfred and the moment it was just him and Bruce he'd be knocking Bruce out and making a break for it.

"You appear to be fine minus a few minor bruises," Alfred finally said.

"Told you, now I'm going I have shit to…" he started.

"I've Got _Deadpool_!" Dick announced walking in with Stephanie, Tim, and a girl he'd never seen who gave him a curious look.

"Do." He finished and he frowned. _Deadpool_ was his favorite movie ever, and after seeing the trailer when he'd been in the UK he had decided that'd be worth the price of admission and a small indulgence on his part since normally he stuck to books.

"Alright, what do you want, and how much is it going to cost me?" he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You're staying here and watching _Deadpool_ , and the _Minions_ because the _Minions_ was Stephanie's pick," Dick stated.

"What the hell are _Minions_?" Jason asked.

"Awesome, devious little yellow peanut guys who are adorable!" Stephanie bounced. "Oh, Jay, Cass, Cass, meet your big brother Jason!"

"I'm not anyone's brother!" he shouted. God! This was why he hated Bats! They'd drag him in and the moment he fucked up; because a fuck up was bound to happen with him, they'd pitch him on the curb. Also there was the thing with him and Bruce where he'd really like to beat Bruce to an inch of death with a crowbar then blow him up to get it through Bruce's thick head that his death had SUCKED! Maybe Jason should bury him alive to get it through to Bruce that his resurrection hadn't been fun either.

"You're family Jay, get used to it, and you're moving back to Gotham because I need another adult to be around," Dick said as he started setting up a projector.

"Fuck no!" Jason spat out.

"Language Master Jason," Alfred chimed.

"I am _**NOT**_ moving back to Gotham, and who the fuck says I'm an adult!? I've only acted responsible because you're all batshit crazy and someone needs to be sane!" Jason shouted which had the kids giggling.

However Raven endured this chaos he'd never know.

"Brother," Cass said with a smile.

"I hate you all, just send me to Arkham now," he muttered.

"Jason! We're _**NOT**_ Sending You To Arkham!" Dick, Tim, and Bruce shouted at him. He frowned; when he escaped, he was going to have massive multiple explosions, and they'd be in Gotham just to piss of Bats!

* * *

Raven came to without a sound or light show this time as she just opened her eyes and looked around her room. To her right was Jason who was sleeping in a chair, a blanket dropped over him with care which had her smiling slightly as she fell onto her bed and slowly sat up. Looking around she registered that she was alone with Jason only for company and it had her relaxing slightly. Despite the storm raging around him and within him which was Jason Todd, he was comforting to be around.

"Don't even think of getting up," he muttered and she looked over at him. "I had to escape, Bruce, Dick, Tim, Stephanie, Cass, Alfred, Selina and Damian to get out of there so do not think about alerting anyone to your being awake."

"Mmm," she hummed and his eyes snapped open, there was a hint of glowing green in them before it receded just as quickly as it had come.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I feel like I got hit by a ship," she muttered and rubbed her brow as she felt her father's energy pulsing in her brow which had her frowning a bit. "You?"

"The Pit sort of makes sure I'm fine," he muttered a bit sourly.

"It's alright, I'll manage," he admitted as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the security bar of her bed. His fingers traced her arm slowly and she sighed.

"You're leaving?" she whispered.

"I can't stay," he muttered.

"You could."

"They're going to pitch my ass in Arkham the moment I fuck up, and Rae, I fuck up a lot," he sighed. "Besides, I have to keep on the move, I have… people, after me."

"Who?"

"If you promise never to tell anyone I don't mind telling you," he smiled a bit and she softened.

"Your secret is safe, if you make me waffles," she smiled.

"Deal."

"And stay at least a week so we're sure you're alright, I don't want you dying because of that wound."

"Fine," he rolled his eyes and she smiled a bit in triumph.

"I lived with the League of Assassins for about… I think three or four years, time's a bit blurry, shortly after I came back I found out Deathstroke was after Dick and dick had created that stupid fucking suit; the Red X.

"Talia had dragged me along for a job of hers', she liked keeping me close for… reasons, and I decided to steal that fucking suit from Dick. Stupid, I know, but I then proceeded to make a deal with Deathstroke, I would do a favor for him in exchange he never went after a Bat brat ever again," he sighed.

"And Deathstroke's favor?" Raven asked.

"He hasn't collected, but I figure if I'm always moving and working he can't catch me, he can't call on that favor. He tried to rope me into the assault on the League of Assassins, saying how I could be his apprientice, but I had to kill Damian, Sorry but no Bat brats includes the evil prince," Jason muttered sourly and Raven nodded in understanding.

"You made a deal to protect your family," she said.

"Tried," he admitted miserably. "Guess they never wanted me though so it was pointless."

"Jason, families are complicated, I've now sealed my father away on my brow, I know how complicated families are," she sighed. "But it works itself out, if you let it."

"I'm still busting out, I can't be caught," he stated.

"That's alright," she smiled. "Just stay for a bit, stay with your family, I'm not saying Bruce, but Damian, Tim, Stephanie, and Dick are all very happy you're alive, and I think I feel Alfred here, and he's just radiating joy."

"And what are you going to do about… him," Jason pointed at her brow.

"I have a Nevermore for this very purpose," she said softly. "It's going to suck, but it'll work, I've been building shield up my whole life and fighting him all my life too, I can handle having him trying to be in my head and trying to escape. Besides, I'm the only one who can release him now, he's stuck. His power is mine, and I'm never letting him out no matter what he whispers in my head."

"Good."

"Thank you, Jason, for coming with me," she said. "I was pleased to meet you. You have been the most interesting company I've had in a while."

"You're not bad company yourself, little bird," he nudged her and she yawned.

"Friends?" she asked.

"Why not, you've already been in my head and taken the Lazarus Pit and if you're still here I don't see a reason for us not to be friends," he chuckled as he gently touched her brow she sighed.

"You don't scare me Jason," she said.

"Ah, well you'd be a first, I scare me," he grinned sadly and she took his hand.

"Give it time, you were beaten down, you did not break nor were you destroyed, even in death you were strong," she said. She'd seen the memories, she'd felt everything he had, and she knew all about him. She knew his pain and suffering, but she knew more than that about him.

"You're really annoying when you go all meditation guru on me, you know that right?"

"As your Queen I demand respect," she huffed indignantly.

"In case you forgot, your majesty, you kicked me out of hell, I'm now in a different hell, and speaking of that, can you tone back on my cruel and unusual punishment," he asked.

"No," she hummed. "It's a reward in the long run," she promised.

"We'll agree to disagree on that matter," he grumbled.

"Very well, but you should know subjects of Hell never argue with the Queen," she yawned.

"Bullshit, I promote myself to advisor so I can argue."

"Very well, but you'll never win."

"That's what you think," Jason haughtily stated with a devious grin and she sighed as she relaxed, he felt good to be around, not calm, but good. He was… light right now, in a good mood and it was comfortable to be around; almost familiar.

"We shall see," she agreed.

"Now, I've spent at least four epic hours watching two movies I'm told we now have in common, and if we don't have them in common, I'm still setting it up and you're re-watching it with me," he said.

"What movies, because if it's the _Notebook_ or the _Twilight Saga_ I will send you to another dimension, I've already endured those for Star once, never again," she warned lowly.

"Fuck no," Jason snorted crossly and she relaxed hearing that.

"Then what?"

" _Deadpool_ and _Minions_ , also there are the _Despicable Me_ 's, which I'm told are excellent but I don't know," he said.

"Yeah, I like those," she smiled softly. She liked the _Minions_ and _Despicable Me_ 's because they made everyone laugh and feel light, and as an empath that was addictive to be around; she was even eagerly awaiting _Despicable M3_ this summer, and she was dragging Damian off to see it. She wasn't a movie person, but she liked the good feelings of these movies, and they were pretty cute. As for _Deadpool_ ; Raven had a guilty pleasure for shot-'em-up!-Bang!-Bang! sort of movies, they weren't the warm fuzzy feelings but it was more entertaining than some sappy romance or cheesy comedy or horrible horror film.

"Good, because those are your options," Jason admitted.

"Not a movie guy?" she teased.

"You know me and books," he shrugged.

"Agreed."

"Good." He was up and in less than twenty minutes he had the movie projector set up, the movie playing and popcorn for them as he sat with her on her med bay bed.

"So… _Deadpool_?" she questioned as the movie started.

"Not many movies look like they're actually worth seeing so I don't feel like I'm missing out on them, however this," he gestured at the opening scene. "Pure Fucking Genius!"

"Agreed," she mused and she sighed as she watched the movie, Jason snickering at the jokes and puns and she just enjoyed the story. It wasn't bad, she wasn't much of a Marvel comic lover, but she did enjoy their movies.

"Dick showed me a cosplay photo of you guys at the Avengers' movie priemere," he said as they watched the movie.

"I didn't dress up," she pointed out.

"I noticed, and I have to say that's ingenious, no one caught it until I pointed out you were just wearing your uniform without the belt and cap!" he snickered. "But good character pick, Black Widow."

"It's comfortable," she shrugged as she took a bite of popcorn.

"I don't see how a catsuit is comfortable," he shook his head.

"You could wear spandex," she joked as Deadpool's quip came up and Jason chuckled.

"I'm good, no caps, no spandex, no uniforms for me anymore, tactical gear," he promised.

"Good to know."

"It is."

The rest of the movie played with laughter and snickers and Jason quoting lines before they happened; she flicked popcorn at him when that happened. He just snickered. At the end, they popped in _Minions_ and Raven curled up in her bed, feeling her eyes growing heavy as they watched it. She was comfortable, she was safe, and she felt good as she rested against Jason and let sleep drag her under half way through the movie, her fingers tightly clutching Jason's sleeve.

Raven's eyes snapped open when she felt a familiar push on her empathy and looked up to see Victor walking in quietly. She smiled a bit from her perch, Jason was sound asleep.

"You have fun?" he asked softly looking at the mess.

" _Deadpool_ ," she answered.

"And you didn't invite me!?" Victor miffed, she chuckled.

"Nest time, promise," she said as she shifted over to Victor. "Vic, I need a favor."

"Yeah, what?"

"Can you make me an untraceable phone," she said.

"Why?"

"For my new friend, I have a feeling the moment Jason escape he'll disappear," she yawned.

"You like him?" Victor asked.

"He's good company and he's turned out to be a decent friend in the past week," she pointed out. She was in short supply of good friends, and she had a feeling Jason was too.

"You know I don't approve, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, but you also didn't approve of Damian being here, or of me dating Gar for the thirty seconds that lasted, so…" she trailed off and gave him a pointed look.

"Fair enough, I'll set up a phone, but I can't make him keep it," Victor pointed out.

"I'll take care of that," she muttered as she twisted around to Jason and poked his ribs.

"Go away," he muttered as he swatted at her hand.

"Waffles, now," Raven ordered with a yawn.

"Sleeping and you use full sentences," Jason grumbled. Her stomach snarled loudly and she blinked at him.

"I had toast before our battle, I'm famished, waffles," she repeated her ordered.

"You are a bossy Queen," he yawned.

"Only when hungry," she pointed out as he swung his legs off the bed and stood she stretched then and waited for him to leave before she looked at Victor.

"Thank you Vic," she smiled at him.

"Queen?"

"He's declared me Queen of Hell, and since he's died," she shrugged and Victor laughed.

"Oh God, I now see how you two go at it all day, I didn't believe Damian when he said that," Victor chuckled as he left. She smiled a bit and then she was alone. Raven pulled on yoga pants and a too large hoodie that were in her room as she left and walked to the kitchen where she heard Jason and Damian.

* * *

Damian had been just as worried as the rest of the family when they had woken up and Jason was nowhere to be found. Damian hadn't checked Raven's hospital room because Victor had said she was changing, and then Damian had skidded into the kitchen where Jason was pulling out ingredients.

"You're still here," Damian said with wide eyes.

"For a New York minute, little bird and I have a bargain," he said simply. "Who's here for breakfast?"

"There's Raven, Grayson, Drake, Brown, Cain, Pennyworth, father, Kyle, Reyes, Allan, Sandsmark, Kaldur, Jon, Connor, Danvers, Starfire, Logan, Stone…" he started.

"Number!" Jason snapped.

"Oh, twenty-four, including you and Raven," Damian said.

"Kay, I can work with that," Jason grumbled and Damian watched as Jason worked diligently. The man had proven proficiency in the kitchen.

"Master Jason!" Pennyworth's voice had him and Jason looking up. "Do you have any idea the panic you've given us?"

"Sorry? Hung out with Raven last night," Jason dismissed and Damian smirked. "And we watched movies, _Deadpool_ and _Minions_ , no need to panic."

"Master Jason I cannot stress the importance you have in this family, we worry," Pennyworth said walking in.

"Uh-huh, agree to disagree Al, wanna help or want to be waited on for a change?" Jason asked. Damian did not understand Jason's great stubbornness about him not holding a place in the family. It seemed to him that Jason was very important to the family, and Damian found Jason's company tolerable. Jason was not as insufferable as Drake.

"I will help, what are we making?" Pennyworth asked walking in.

"The Queen has demanded waffles," Jason said.

"Queen?" Damian asked.

"Raven, she's Queen of Hell, get it," he laughed a bit and Damian frowned. He did not think Raven would take to that name and after the talk Jason had given him about respecting women he found it hypocritical. "Oh, and you're still apologizing to Raven too, demon spawn, or you and I will spar and I'll beat you black and blue."

"For what is Master Damian apologizing for?" Pennyworth asked.

"He's apparently called Raven a harlot, and probably a bunch of other rude stuff too, but I don't want to know. What the hell are you and Bruce teaching these kids?" Jason asked.

"I do not know, I thought he'd have known to have more respect for his mentors," Pennyworth said.

"Oh, it's not just assassin prince here, it's the who clan according to Raven, you know, they've never treated her like a lady, that's just sad. When I was at the Mansion you used to drill manners into me," Jason said pointedly and Damian huffed.

It wasn't like Raven had ever taken offense to how he treated her! Or what he called her! If she had she'd have cuffed him, he'd been hit by her and he'd been berated by her enough to know when he crossed the lines raven set.

"The whole family?" Pennyworth asked and Damian suddenly didn't feel like he was about to be the only one reprimanded by Pennyworth.

"Yeah, Dickhead and puppy eyes are on the shit list of never treating a woman like a lady," Jason said firmly.

"I will be giving a stern talking to these young men, I raised them better than this," Pennyworth said.

"Morning little bird, bat brat has something he'd like to say to you," Jason said and Damian turned to see Raven with her hair drawn up, wearing a sweatshirt which was clearly Jason's, and yoga pants.

"He does?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, he does," Jason glared pointedly at him and Damian scowled as he glared at Jason before looking at Raven.

"I apologize for calling you a harlot and will never call you anything other than Raven," Damian said sourly and Raven walked over to him.

"Thank you, Damian, at least you had the courage to say it to my face though, most say insults behind the backs of others," she said as she took a seat at the bar with him.

"Still you're not a harlot, and he should not call you that, especially when I don't think he knows what it means," Jason snapped.

"Thank you, now, waffles?" Raven asked.

"Impatient?"

"As your Queen, I order you to hurry up," Raven dismissed and Damian snickered.

"As your advisor, I warn you never to piss of the cook," Jason said.

"You're really going to let him call you Queen?" Damian asked.

"I've been called worse," she shrugged.

"There you are!" Grayson shouted as he bounded into the kitchen and Jason was tackled into a hug.

"Get Off!" Jason roared as Grayson was thrown off, Damian stared at the chaos which now entered the kitchen as Jason and Pennyworth worked in unison without missing a beat. The other Titans stumbled in and Damian had to admit, this wasn't so terrible.

"Who's the new cute guy!" Supergirl shrieked as she flew out of the dining hall. Damian looked at Raven, Raven merely shrugged and Damian guessed that was a girl thing. Jason just looked confused but continued working.

"Dude! Are these the waffles from the House of Mystery!?" Rayes shouted.

"Yes," Jason called out.

"Sweet!Areyoulivingwithusnow! Thatwouldbesweet! AndGoodFood!" Allen blurted out.

"No."

"Why not!? I wanna cook like you!" Stephanie announced appearing.

"Oh, for the love of…" Jason growled and Damian accepted his plate of pancakes as Jason handed Raven her waffles.

"Thank you, Jason," Raven chimed in as she ate.

"You just wanted me to stay for waffles," he grumbled.

"Of course," she smiled and Damian snickered as everyone else showed up. This wasn't so bad, Jason was relaxed, working in the kitchen, even father and Kyle were relaxed in the kitchen as Jason and Pennyworth worked.

"Thanks Raven," Damian heard Grayson whisper as he leaned over her.

"One step at a time, Dick," Raven replied as Jason reappeared and pushed a tea at Raven as Grayson left to eat with Starfire. Damian wondered what that meant, he'd ask Grayson about it later. Supergirl reappeared, fully dressed, which Damian thought was odd since everyone else was in their pajamas.

Damian scowled noticing Kara Danvers' blushing face when she looked at Jason, Raven and Jason didn't notice as they started debating books then. He didn't like this, he didn't like it one bit as he gripped his knife and frowned. He'd have to interfere…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delays in updates, I've been moving and offline as of late, when I have some more stable internet I'll finish uploading this story. Until then, I hope you enjoy! =)


	25. Hello Beloved, Goodbye Darling

**Hello Beloved, Good Bye Darling…**

It was a very good thing she was accustomed to traveling internationally, though her patience was dying slowly as she chased the world for her son. Now it was three days after what the world was dubbing 'Hell's Rising' and she walked off her business jet in San Francisco at a private airport and she was furious, exhausted, and had a need to go yell at her beloved for letting their son hang out with a demon. Of course she'd be yelling at Bruce after she collected Damian from the Titans and took him back into her care since he was no longer safe with his father.

Talia had also since ditched Deathstroke because his company was insufferable. Besides, it wasn't like he actually understood anything she'd done. No, Slade was ignorant to all her reasons and did not seem to care about them, all he cared about was falling back into the League's favor since Damian was with his father.

She stopped when she noticed a black town car on the tarmac with the tall familiar frame of her husband standing there. His icy blue eyes still sent her heart in a flutter, but it was the way his jaw was set which told her she was about to be fighting war with him as she curved her red lips and sauntered up to him.

"Beloved," she smiled as she reached up for him, he caught her and held her away from him. "Whatever is the matter?" she hummed.

"Get in the car, Talia," he ordered and she just did as she was told, it wasn't as if her beloved was able to harm her.

"You are to leave," Bruce said.

"Very well, after I collect my son," she said primly as she straightened the pleats of her dress. She wasn't leaving Damian here, he would be coming with her. And she would try to bring Jason back into the fold again so as to remove the hit on his head.

"You do not have custody of him," Bruce said sharply as he pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket which had her frowning as she took it.

"What is this?" she asked.

"That is the custody agreement the court has settled upon, since you did not come to the proceedings and did not send a lawyer Damian is mine, and this," he pulled a second document. "Is a restraining order to keep you away from my sons, all of them Talia. However, I know you have no respect for Western papers so I will simply say this, if anything happens, to any of my children, I will come after you Talia. And there will be no measure as to how hard and how fast I will strike you down."

"There is no need for such hostility beloved," Talia stated coldly.

"You kept Jason from me, I'm betting you wound him up, manipulated him off the Pit's influence and set him loose on Gotham," Bruce said coldly which had her eyes narrowing.

Yes, she had found Jason. Yes, she had used the Pit to revive him fully against her father's wishes. Yes, she had trained him, and had educated him with the finest tutors while she manipulated him. And yes, she did set him loose on Gotham. But No, she did not set him upon her beloved! Her only intention was to have Jason remove the obstacles in the way of her son claiming his birthright. However, the moment she set Jason loose was the moment she lost him, he had gone rogue and only attacked Bruce and the Joker while taking over crime in Gotham. Since then she hadn't ever gotten near him, he had evaded her or escaped, and she had had no choice but to declare him a deserter of the League.

"Yes, I found him, after he had been living on the streets practically brain dead and living on muscle memory," she hissed. "I took him in, I healed him, I trained him, but I was trying to out wait the Pit's influence," she lied.

"You're a clever liar Talia, and it's served you well, but lying to me right now is just stupid. The League of Assassins took my son from me, and have kept him from me, you should have brought him home the moment you found him, and I don't care if it was you or if it was Ra's, but you both are to stay away from my children."

"You cannot keep me from my son, he is my blood."

"Who you dumped on me less than a year ago," Bruce spat.

"I was protecting him," Talia tried for the motherly tears. "My father was dead, Deathstroke would have killed him, and you are his father."

"And as his father I'm making a decision for his health, his safety, and his well being," Bruce snapped.

"By giving him over to the demon? Oh yes, Beloved, I've encountered the young demoness our son was running around with which is why I ask if it is wise to leave my child in your care! You are putting him in the greatest danger by giving him to the demoness!"

"Her name is Raven, and she's proven to be a good influence on my sons, and Damian needs the Titans, and Damian isn't yours anymore. Come for him and I'll destroy you Talia, go for any of my children and I will raise hell," Bruce said. "I've arranged for that plane to take you to Dubai, and if I ever see you near the States or my children I will be coming for you."

"And we used to be so good together," she sighed. "Very well, beloved, for now you win, but I will also be watching and if anything should happen to Damian I will be taking him with me again, and you will not be able to stop me."

"Try," Bruce challenged as she got out of the car and walked calmly to the plane again and sat on her seat. She would get Damian back, for now though it was best to just let her beloved think he had won and she was leaving. She'd be back later when he wasn't expecting it to collect their child.

* * *

Bruce watched as that plane taxied off, and then took off before he checked the tracker; he'd dusted the papers with tracking dust and it coated Talia, the only reason it wasn't coating him was the material of his jacket repulsed it. He sighed when she was in the air as his head fell back and he felt exhausted. Jason had cooked this morning, and Bruce had enjoyed just seeing his son alive and not trying to kill everyone around him.

Dick and Tim were ecstatic to have Jason back and Damian seemed to think Jason wasn't going anywhere. Which was both comforting and saddening.

Of all his children Jason was the most difficult to reach, even before his death but especially now. It had taken a solid year for Bruce to stop stumbling upon caches of food, backpacks packed with essentials, and cash. And even after Jason's death Bruce had found a few odd caches of Jason's, not as many as when he'd first come to the Manor but enough to have Bruce breaking. Jason was ready to bolt on a moment's notice, and something in Bruce felt that hadn't changed.

Behind all the attitude, all the smirks, the glares, the sneers, the laughter, the harsh tongue, humor, cocky confidence, and the ease, there was that street kid ready to bolt, and when he left he'd be gone.

Because of this Bruce was exceedingly tempted to put a tracker on his son, but he knew if he did that Jason would be furious and then once he figured out how to get it off, Jason would disappear permanently. Of all his children Jason was the most cautious and suspicious, at least where relationships and people were concerned, and Bruce knew that Jason's minimal trust had been shattered when Bruce had picked the Joker.

No doubt Jason was really only hanging around as long as he had for Raven, it was clear that Jason and Raven were close. Which was surprising since before about eight days ago they had never met or interacted according to them.

"Well, she's gone now, Master Bruce," Alfred sighed.

"Yes, she is," Bruce sighed as he rubbed his brow. "Alfred, do you… do you think it's for the best? Keeping Talia away from Damian."

"I have never been particularly fond of that woman, Master Bruce, but yes, it is for the best that your sons have nothing to do with her. Some people just are not meant to be parents," Alfred remarked dryly.

Bruce sighed, he didn't think he was meant to be a parent, he had no idea what he was doing! However, Dick had turned out so seemingly normal he didn't know, and Bruce was actually surprised that his eldest was as well-adjusted as he was. Tim was developing insomnia, and didn't eat enough. Damian was so angry all the time and Bruce could never seem to say the right thing or do the right thing for Damian. And then there was Jason, who was his most volatile, hostile, and surly son who he couldn't seem to reach at all.

"Perhaps I shouldn't be a parent," he muttered softly.

"You are a good father, Master Bruce, and parenting is the hardest job in the world. Even more difficult than being the Bat," Alfred said evenly.

"Thank you Alfred," he said.

"Any time Master Bruce, and it is nice to have Master Jason here again," Alfred smiled slightly. Bruce softened as they drove.

"He's going to bolt," Bruce murmured sadly.

"Yes, he is, Master Jason is not a man to stay where he does not feel wanted."

"But he is wanted, Alfred, how do we get that through to him?" Bruce asked desperately. He'd been devastated when his parents had died, however, he supposed that it was natural for parents to pass before their children. However, he'd been completely destroyed when Jason had died, losing his son was something which just shattered him. And Jason had been his son, Bruce even had the adoption papers in his study. Those cruel papers were tucked beside an old photo of Jason in his first leather jacket, grinning and sitting on one of the cars, a photo taken a week before everything went to hell.

Bruce had received the adoption papers the very day Jason had run off to Ethiopia, it was in coming up to that room to tell Jason he was his son that Bruce had discovered his son was gone. He'd been frantic, and then Jason was dead, and Bruce knew now that Jason felt he'd meant nothing to Bruce or the family and Jason couldn't be more wrong.

"Patience and persistence," Alfred said calmly. "Patience and persistence, Master Bruce, and consistency."

"You've thought a lot about this," Bruce smirked a bit.

"Not at all, Master Bruce, I just recall the boy he was, those three things spoke the most to him. He does not believe words, he does not trust easy, but he watches and if you show him you're there for him, perhaps slowly we can bring him home," Alfred said softly and Bruce nodded.

Actions, actions were what Jason trusted. When Bruce thought about it, he supposed it was only logical. Jason's parents had not been the best parents and then he'd been on the street doing God only knew what for years before he was taken into the Manor, and Bruce couldn't help but wonder now if he hadn't shown Jason enough how much he was loved.

Sighing Bruce stared at the roof of the car, this was not going to be easy, not one bit. Alfred turned onto one of the secret entrances of the Tower and drove under the bay to the tower as Bruce pondered how he could convince Jason that he was family. They pulled up and Bruce got out of the car to be greeted by a familiar sound of fighting between Damian and Tim.

* * *

Dick slid his arms around her waist as he kissed her shoulder, Raven and Terra were sparring from Kori's window, and Jason was perched out of the way reading, and watching no doubt.

"He is very different than who you described to me," she commented.

"He's different from who he was, but he's still Jason," Dick commented as he looked the training field over, noticing Raven's team was perched around the practice area as Terra attacked, and Raven simply stood there calm. Even amid the chaos Raven was stillness, she was calm, she was steady.

"Damian seems to listen to him," Starfire commented.

"That's because Jason died a midget and came back a giant," Dick snorted; yeah, he'd seen Jason holding the kid arms width away and eye level without missing a beat. Even with Damian struggling, and trying very hard to get out of Jason's grasp it was clear that Jason used his sheer size to get through to the kid.

"I am taller," she pointed out and he chuckled as he pulled her down for a light kiss.

"You are, but Jason was always the small, now he's a giant," Dick observed as he looked at where the sparring was going as Terra went at Raven with everything she had, and Raven hardly moved.

"I am pleased for you Dick, families are precious," she said calmly which had him looking over at her.

"Now we just need to get him to stay," Dick grumbled. Jason had a foot out the door and was probably only here because Raven or Alfred had asked him or guilted him. Dick was inclined to think Alfred had done the guilting but seeing Raven and Jason together had him thinking it was possible Raven had gotten Jason to stay. Those two were clearly close despite only knowing each other for a short time.

"He will stay, he seems to like being here," Kori said.

"Yeah, but he's got a foot out the door and he's already on his way to leave," Dick muttered. Troublesome Jason was nothing if not predictable.

"We'll see," Kori chuckled.

"Yeah," he smiled as he pulled her down for another kiss. Kori was enthusiastic about the kiss as her arms wrapped around him and they crashed onto the floor.

"I've missed you, I've almost forgotten what you feel like," Kori purred.

"Oh, don't worry babe, I'll remind you," he smiled and she giggled as he pulled her down for another kiss. Jason wasn't going anywhere just yet, so he had time to fix things with his brother later. And now was the perfect time to fix the case of blue balls he'd been developing since this mess started. There was a buzz on the room intercom which had him and Kori groaning.

"Superman is here to see you," Barbara's voice said primly before it was gone.

"NOW! he couldn't come when Jason and Raven were in the coma or when I'm not about to have sex!" Dick groaned.

"Go, it is important, when you get back I have the thing to wear," she giggled.

"The purple or green one?" he asked with interest as she floated off him.

"You'll have to come and see!" she winked and flew into her closet, he was up and out of the room before he had the Man of Steel pounding on his door. Dick made his way to his workspace, took a steadying breath seeing the giant Kryptonian there, and walked in slowly. He'd seen Clark briefly at the Trigon fight but that was so not the place to spring this news on Clark.

"So Jason is alive," Clark said.

"Yeah, and you're not arresting him if Bruce isn't so don't even think it Supes," Dick warned.

"I'm not arresting him, I just see Jason Todd alive, I know nothing about the identity of the Red hood, his mask was lined with a thin layer of lead dipped in titanium," Clark shrugged.

"Okay, so the family is a bit paranoid," Dick sighed as he sat.

"What is wrong with my children?" Clark asked worriedly as he sat.

"Um… No, nothing, Kara and Jon are fine, better than fine all things considering. They're adjusting, I've split them up, Kara's on Starfire's team, and Jon's been placed on Raven's team. The kids on Raven's team are closer to him in age and Raven's a good influence on younger children," Dick defended.

"I did witness her fight with Trigon, Dick, I am not comfortable about her heritage or her powers but agree she is good for the kids," Clark said.

"Good, I'm glad you agree about that," Dick nodded. "Now, I meant to bring this up with you earlier this week, but with everything that happened, and find out about Jason and fighting Trigon I was unable to. It's about Cadmus."

"What about Cadmus?" Clark asked.

"Wally and I did investigating there earlier this week," Dick started. Had it really only been a week? It felt like it'd been a year or a month at the very least with everything that had happened over the last few days, minus the time they were suspended in time in the House of Mystery. "There was a project there, Project Kr."

Dick handed him the file and slowly Clark started reading it over.

"Your kids have named him Connor," Dick said when Clark seemed to tremble.

"This isn't…" Clark growled.

"I'm sorry, but it is, and Connor's the first we know of but there are probably others, possibly even of Jon and Kara," Dick said calmly. "Do you want to meet him?"

"No."

"Clark!" but it was too late the Man of Steel was gone and Dick groaned as his head fell back. This wasn't going to be easy, at least Kara and Jon were growing to like Connor.

* * *

Tim found where Jason was perched as rocks flew at Raven, raven vanished in a shadow and appeared behind Terra as her magic threateningly wrapped around the blonde's throat.

"Wat'cha reading?" Tim asked which had Jason lifting his brows as he looked up from his book.

" _Narnia_ ," Jason replied.

"Huh," Tim had not expecting that, but more than likely it was in Raven's collection and Jason had raided her room for books yesterday. And Raven was the only one to know what she had in her book collection.

"What is it red bird?" Jason asked.

"Nothing, I'm just really happy you're alive," Tim admitted with a large grin as he swung his legs, there was an explosion below then and Tim saw Jason look down with disinterest but sharp eyes. "You really like her."

"What the fuck!" Jason groaned. "No! Sunshine is a friend and interesting company! What the fuck is wrong with Dickhead, demon spawn and now you!?"

Tim laughed and smiled as he stared at the gathering peanut gallery for the fight, the Supers were floating overhead with most the other flying kids, but the others were littering the surrounding area, cautiously.

"It's not a bad thing if you like her," Time pointed out.

"Listen short stack, when you're married, and I'm dead, again, then you can bother me about my love life; until then, all of you butt out. Also, it is possible for guys and girls to just be friends. Granted Bats and big bird haven't set that example, but it is possible," Jason growled out.

"Uh-huh," Tim hummed skeptically and they watched as Raven sent Terra flying and screaming.

"That was a good move," Jason observed not looking up from his book.

"You weren't even watching!" Tim pointed out.

"I'm always watching," he dismissed. Tim snorted.

The fight was called by Cyborg then when Terra landed. Tim didn't dislike or like Terra, but he did not understand her soul deep hatred of Raven. Even now as the crowd started dispersing and Terra pulled up a rock up then threw it at Raven, Tim was about to shout warning when Jason appeared at Raven's back and the rock was dust from a gunshot.

"The match was called," Jason snapped. "And I don't see a fucking street fight anywhere or a real fight."

"She started it!" Terra shouted. Tim landed by Jason and Raven then.

"It's fine Red, I was never in any danger. Terra, I am your superior, and for your actions I'm assigning you to kitchen duty," Raven said as she walked away and Terra growled a bit. Tim was just trying to comprehend how Jason had moved that fast as he trotted after Raven.

"She really does not like you," Tim observed.

"The feeling is mutual," Raven replied monotonously. There was nothing else said and Tim decided having Jason around wasn't bad.

Jason handled Damian, he was fast, he was loyal, and he cooked (no one in this Tower cooked beside Victor, but Jason cooked like a chef at a pristine restaurant and it was delicious). Also, Bruce was happier to have Jason around, or in the vicinity, as did Dick and Alfred; even Selina liked him.

"You know we should spar," Tim said.

"Hm?" Jason looked over at him.

"You haven't sparred yet, and I wonder if you're as difficult as you say."

"You doubt me?" Jason asked.

"No, just curious," Tim answered. He was very curious about Jason. Jason had been his childhood hero! Dick was a cool Robin, but Tim still felt the best one was Jason, and with all the mystery around Jason's last six years he was curious just how good Jason really was.

"Fine," Jason shrugged.

"Don't kill him," Raven said uninterestingly.

"You think I would agree if I could?" Jason asked.

"Knowing you," she retorted.

"Have a little faith, sunshine, and if you doubt I'm good you can sit in; and we still need to have our match," Jason said. Tim just looked between them and there seemed to be an entire silent conversation. Raven was good at that, she could do it with just about everyone and she wasn't even telepathic.

"If I sense something," her tone was warning.

"Deal, now our match?"

"I'm free tomorrow," she shrugged.

"Perfect," Jason grinned. "Oh, full arsenal."

"Very well, but I will erect a barrier," Rave said as she walked off and Jason chuckled before looking down at him.

"Come on puppy eyes," Jason said as they walked into the elevator.

"Please stop calling me that," Tim pleaded.

"Would you prefer Replacement?" he asked dryly.

"Beat's puppy eyes," he muttered. Seriously, Jason rarely seemed to call anyone their name or code name, Damian had the longest list and responded to all of them. Also Jason seemed to have more than just one language in his arsenal, so far Tim had heard Jason speak Arabic to Damian, swear in Russian, and talk to Alfred in French.

"Very well red bird, replacement it is," he said.

"Are you going to use your arsenal?" Tim asked.

"No, that wouldn't be wise, but you can use yours, you might need it," Jason commented.

"I'm just going to use my bow staff," he answered. Before Ra's death, Tim had been complimented as the best fighter of the Bat family by the evil bastard. And though that wasn't something to be proud of, Tim kind of was because he was only fifteen and complimented as being the best rather than Dick or Bruce.

"Whatever you want," he shrugged.

"You're seriously not going to use anything?" Tim asked.

"Nah, you'll either kick my ass or we're evenly matched, but it's for the best that I don't get a weapon," Jason said as he reappeared dressed for a spar, Tim was dressed too and Tim picked up the familiar weight of the bow staff.

"It's going to hurt," Tim warned again.

"Anymore than a crowbar?"

* * *

Damian found Raven sitting in the sparring room meditating as Jason and Drake sparred. He was impressed that she could meditate in all the obvious chaos going on in the sparring room.

"I saw your match with Terra, you pulled your punches," he observed as he stood by her and her eyes slid open as she looked at him.

"And what do you propose I do, unleash all my power in a spar?" Raven asked.

"Would that not be the wiser course of action to show Terra she is inferior to you," he replied.

Raven sighed.

"Damian, she is neither inferior nor superior to me, she is different," Raven said patiently.

"The fact you could defeat your father and seal him away after having been seriously depleted of your powers, shows that you are her superior, why not show her?" he asked.

"Damian, annihilating Terra is not the goal. It would be rather counterproductive to the goal actually." She said.

"And what is the goal then?"

"For her to grow, to learn, to be happy."

"Is that why she hates you?"

"No, Terra and I never got along, not even before she betrayed us to Slade. However, she makes Garfield happy, and that means more to me than how she feels about me," Raven said softly.

"Do you… love Logan?" he asked.

"Not in the way you're asking, perhaps once I did, but I do not make him happy. And he's become like a little brother to me," she answered. "But I will do many things for the ones I love to make them happy. Terra makes Gar happy, and even if she hates me, I can live with her for the happiness of my friend."

"That seems self-sacrificing, she gets happiness while you gave it up. You deserve better," Damian stated. And he watched as Drake leapt up and Jason rolled. Raven deserved better than an idiot like Logan anyway, so at least on that front he did not have to worry.

"Perhaps, perhaps not, and why would it matter to you Damian? I do not think my love life or personal life, or the lack thereof, have much anything to do with you," she dryly remarked.

"No reason, I just feel that you should put Terra in her place."

"Mmm, I do not think it would be wise to do that," Raven answered as her eyes shut again and she resumed her meditation. Damian watched the spar for a bit longer before losing interest and walking out of the gym and prowling the tower, he found his father and Kyle together in a living area, Kyle was reading and his father was working but before he could escape they both saw him.

"Damian!" Kyle was up and he tried to back away from her only for her to drop down in front of him. "Here," she handed him something.

Hesitantly he took the paper and found himself looking at a grainy, grey, horrible photo but there was a little white blip.

"Tt," he clicked his tongue. "What is this?"

"That, is your baby brother or sister," Selina said.

"But they are inside you," Damian said as he looked at the photo again and tried to figure out what he was really seeing.

"Yes," she nodded and stood. "But I thought it was best to show you. You're not being replaced Damian."

"Selina's right," his father said as he stood up and reached in his jacket pocket. Damian scowled at his father, of course he was being replaced! He wasn't good enough! Again. And his father was seeking to have a better heir than him! One with no ties to the people he hated so much, father wanted no ties to the League of Assassins.

"Here," his father handed him some papers.

"What are these?" Damian asked.

"Those are your adoption papers, you are officially all mine," his father said as he knelt before him. "I have been working on getting those for you since Talia dropped you off. You are my son Damian, and you are not going anywhere."

"But…" Damian started, he felt tears stinging his eyes though.

"I'm not ashamed of you Damian, but I couldn't claim you without papers, or send you to school, or a lot of other things. But you are my son," his father said.

"You needed papers for that," Damian said with disdain.

"Legally speaking, yes, as your father, no," his father said calmly and Damian stared at the papers as he trembled. He was officially a part of his father's family. Not in just blood, but in the eyes of this country.

"Thank you, father," he said softly and he found himself awkwardly walking forward as he wrapped his arms around him. His father's arm wrapped around him softly as a heavy hand patted his back uncertainly. Damian didn't care though, he was officially a Wayne.

"We're going to finish sorting the rest of it out, but you're officially mine and staying here, you're mother will never take you," his father murmured and Damian felt slim fingers gingerly moving through his hair. He looked up at Kyle then and she smiled.

"You're not mine, legally, but all the Robins are mine in a way, kid," she said with a broad grin. "And being his makes you mine too."

"That logic does not make sense," Damian muttered as he slowly pulled away from his father.

"You're family kid," Selina said.

"I am not a child," Damian hissed.

"Of course you're not," she agreed solemnly. Damian stared at the papers again and he smiled a bit, he was now his father's son, he could stay, he wasn't leaving.

"Will you adopt Jason as well?" Damian asked.

"I already did six years ago," his father said.

"Does he know?"

"Not yet, but I'm going to tell him," his father answered and Damian nodded before walking out with the papers.

 **Damian Wayne** was the name on the papers, and Damian felt a swell of pride at seeing his name on these papers.


	26. It's Called Murphy's Law

**It's Called Murphy's Law…**

 

Jason had taken to Raven's room, and honestly it was for the simple reason of being around her gave him the best fucking sleep he'd had in six years! She used her empathy in her sleep, not to take, but to radiate calm, and it kept everything at bay for him. It was nice to sleep, and sleep restfully, not a combat nap taken in exhaustion.

However, this morning he was regretting sleeping in Raven's room since there was a pounding on her door at…

0543.

Raven muttered something as she crawled out of the bed to open the door and he swiped her pillow to duck under it. He was lucky Raven wasn't the irrational type of girl who panicked because someone was in her bed, and he was really lucky she wasn't the romantic type who'd swoon at having a guy in her bed.

However, he couldn't stay, he wouldn't stay, he was leaving tonight, but first he was going to spar with Raven, help unleash some of the itch which wasn't receding, and be off.

"What did they want?"

"It's Damian," Raven yawned as she walked into her closet.

"What'd the demon spawn want?" he asked through her pillow.

"Well, I'm late, I have a tea in the morning with Dick, and I have morning training with Damian, then there's breakfast, the team's morning training before they go to school and you and I will be sparring while they are with the League tutors," Raven yawned as she walked out and he groaned. She did that every fucking morning!? He pitied her.

He tried to go back to sleep, however it was in vain, he couldn't sleep as everything hit him and he was sitting awake, agitated, and bombarded by the memories which left him restless. Giving up on sleep he wasn't going to get he picked up one of the hoodies he'd gotten and walked out of Raven's room for the kitchen. If he couldn't beat the itch out of himself yet, then he'd cook and be semi-productive.

"Still sleeping in Raven's room?" Dick asked when he walked into the kitchen.

"You do realize what a marvelously gifted little bird you have on your team right?" Jason yawned as he opened the fridge to see it fully stocked and he safely assumed this was Alfred's doing.

"I don't even want to know what that means," Dick answered.

"Think with the head above the shoulder's Dickhead. Raven's an empath, and when she sleeps she radiates calm, it helps," Jason spat out as he pulled out what he'd need for waffles; again. It was kind of his quiet thanks to Raven for letting him sleep in her room these past four days.

"Oh, so it's not just me that experienced that?" Dick asked.

"It's addictive to sleep, and I don't think she knows she does it," he rubbed his eyes again and yawned.

"I get that, the one time she watched a horror movie… man, none of us could sleep with the emotions she was radiating."

"Note to self: don't make sunshine watch horror and then try to sleep within city limits of her," he muttered sleepily.

"You and Raven going to spar today, the weather isn't letting up," Dick said.

"Yes, don't care," Jason stated. The storm had blown in three days ago, it was raging something fierce, but because of it most of the typical outdoor Titan activities if they weren't missions were suspended. And his and Raven's spar had been put off because he knew that having it inside would lead to a collapsed Tower. However, he had to get the energy out of him now because he couldn't keep it together much longer, and being around Bruce was agitating him. Same with being around Dick, Barbara, Tim, Stephanie, Cass, Alfred, Selina, and Damian but none of that was nearly as agitating as Bruce. Jason had gotten to the point where he was tempted to ask Raven just to take it from him again, and he knew that it would only come roaring back. The Pit's agitation needed an outlet, and a spar with Raven was going to be that outlet. Mostly because he knew she could shut him down if he lost it before she got seriously hurt.

That empathy of hers' was a great gift and a dangerous weapon.

And Jason knew he could trust her to shut him down without hesitation if he lost it. The advantages to knowing the demoness now.

"Raven might," Dick muttered.

"She won't," Jason answered. "And it'll make the spar all that much more challenging," he grinned viciously as he worked.

"Whatever you say," Dick shrugged. "Are you sure you two aren't dating?"

"What the hell!? AGAIN!?" Jason snarled. "No!"

"I just ask because that was her exact answer," Dick said.

"Dick, I suggest, again, think with the head above the shoulders!" Jason hissed. Seriously, his love life was none of any of the Bats' concern and he was never talking to them about it! Ever! He'd have to be dead, again, for him to want to talk about it.

It wasn't that he didn't have a life outside of Red Hood and Red X, it was more of: I have more important shit to do than getting laid!

Jason was a bit too focused on not being killed, again, to focus on having a life. Avoiding Deathstroke, avoiding the Bats, avoiding the League of Assassins, avoiding the law, avoiding the Justice League, and avoiding the very long list of enemies he'd acquired kind of took priority in his life. Besides, dating was not all it was hyped up to be; it was a major pain in the ass!

Of course, though, Dickhead didn't have that mindset since Dickhead's life was organized(ish, he'd been here long enough to notice how frazzled Dick was, and how hectic life was here) and he had a super-hot alien girlfriend.

"I do Jason, and that's why I bring it up," Dick smirked.

"I will kill you and make it look like an accident," Jason warned darkly.

"You wouldn't."

"Want to test me," Jason growled as he felt the Pit pulsing dangerously close to the surface, he was going to have to figure out a way to get that itch under control because killing rampages were not healthy!

"Jason, I'm not picking a fight," Dick sighed.

"Then you, and everyone butt out," Jason stated. "My minimal life does not involve nosy Bats, and it's staying Bat free."

"We care about you Jay, and we missed you," Dick sighed.

"Not having this conversation!" Jason hissed. Emotions on a whole were not his forte and he wasn't dealing with the mushy ones Dick embraced and oozed. Seriously the man just oozed sappy emotions.

"Too bad, you can't avoid us forever Jay, and we're going to ask about your life and your future and how you are and who you're dating," Dick said.

"Hm, can go back to actively trying, none of your business, haven't thought about it, and again, none of your business," Jason answered with forced sweetness which had Dick smiling slightly. "Look, you didn't care about me the first time around so do me a favor and go back to not caring. Also, who the fuck used all the sugar!?"

"Yeah, I was shitty at the brother thing the first time around, little wing, but… please, please give me another chance Jason. If I could go back and change everything between you and I, I would, I'd trade just about everything to change that. But I can't, and you're alive, and I can't stand the thought of losing you again," Dick said softly which stopped Jason mid-move.

"I don't do family," Jason muttered the reminder to himself. Family was what had been fucking him over again, and again, and again, and would do so again if he let them. Families were his curse, and as much as he craved his family he also knew he'd be fucked over; again, and it could kill him and he had shit to do before he died, again.

"How about friends then?" Dick asked, Jason spun around to find Dick on the counter then.

"What's your angle?" Jason asked. "And get off the fucking counter, Alfred raised you better!"

"No angle, I just want my baby brother back, and you're starting to sound like a more violent version of Alfie," Dick grinned.

"Uh-huh, I don't believe you, and I'll take the Alfred statement as a compliment since Alfred is kick ass and about the only Bat I like," Jason snapped.

"Alright, so maybe the angle is getting my baby brother back, and no one hates Alfie," Dick grinned as he hopped off the counter.

"If I say sure just to amuse your whims and get rid of you, will you leave me alone?" Jason asked.

"Nope."

"I hate you all, I seriously hate you all, I wish I had never fucking touched or looked at that damn book!" Jason seethed as he furiously looked for the eggs.

"You love us!" Dick chimed in and Jason just stared at the ceiling. They had no idea how much he had loved them, ad just how far he went for them even though they weren't his family anymore, and he hated himself for going that far for people who wouldn't notice if he were dead. However, he did it. Or tried, because family was supposed to be loyalty, and though he was the kid who they'd all pitch under the bus with no questions asked, they still had his loyalty and he hated himself for that weakness.

"No, I'm pretty sure I hate you," Jason snapped as he continued making a massive amount of batter to feed a speedster and about twenty teenagers.

"Jason… please," Dick said.

"Why? Why the fuck do you think I'd ever be truly insane, and not Pit insane, to ever trust family again!? It's gotten me killed and I have no fucking intentions of dying until the Joker is dead!" Jason spat out. "I Do Not Do Family!"

"Then friends," Dick said. "I'm sure you need friends."

"And why the hell would I want to be your friend, you made your opinions of me very clear the first time around and I am not wasting my stolen time on you," Jason snapped. Declaring Raven a friend was easy, the empath was genuine when she made her offers, and he was under the impression she didn't make them often.

"Because I was an ass who was didn't grow up until you were dead, Jay, I can't prove it to you, I can only try to show you if you give me a chance." Dick smiled and Jason pulled a face.

The worst part was he hated himself for being sucked into this. And he knew he'd say sure, and he knew this was going to fuck him over, because nothing in this godforsaken universe ever worked in his favor, and this was going to hurt. However, he really, really, really wanted his family back. He wanted family, but he also knew that he never got what he wanted and this was a nuclear bomb going to go off in his face when it decided to fuck him over.

"Fine, but I don't like you," Jason warned.

"And you like Damian and Tim more?" Dick scoffed.

"If I'm playing favorites, I hate you all equally," Jason stated.

"Then who's your favorite?"

"Raven, she's an empath and leaves me the fuck alone!" Jason answered sharply and moved away from Dick as he continued his batter. It wasn't going to work, he knew that, however, there was that small, lonely part of him, that beaten down, lonely street rat, who wanted this to work. Not that it would.

Jason had found that life for him was summed up in one law he'd stumbled across in some of his studies:

Murphy's Law.

It was the fucking title of his autobiography.

* * *

 

He stared at the ruins, and he stared at his followers. His right hand stared with him.

"I do believe my father was worshiping the wrong goddess," he said. "I have foreseen the glorious future my father spoke up, but it is not to be obtained through Trigon."

"And who has the future revealed to be our savior," she asked in her soft tone of indifferent devotion.

"Raven, she will be our savior, the mother of the future, the vessel of greatness," he smiled.

"She is powerful," his companion agreed.

"Yes, she will be my wife, come, we have preparations," he motioned and his followers started coming after him. Raven would be his wife, the mother of his child, the true key to obtaining greatness. She would give him a powerful son to lead the world's way and she would reshape the world with him. By his side she would be a goddess, a queen, and a leader. With her true powers unleashed she'd help him save this wretched world from all the blasphemous sinners and she'd bring about a true Eden.

The demoness would lead them.

He just needed to make the proper preparations for obtaining her, and to receive his father's blessing. For no doubt a demoness of Raven's power would be easy to obtain, but in the end, she would be his. All that dark beauty would be long to him, and him alone, and she would be at his side.

* * *

 

Damian was in the group which had ditched their lessons to watch Raven and Jason spar, he was too curious not to, and as it was pouring ran when they walked out he felt it must have been important this spar happen.

"She is taking them over the water," Kaldur whispered as they all crowded the top floor windows.

"I hope he kicks her ass," Terra muttered and Damian snorted, Jason and Raven were two very different fighters, Raven using powers, and Jason using weaponry, it was an odd match. Should Jason get close enough to Raven Damian was sure she would lose, but the trick would be getting close. Suddenly there was a huge red circle.

"OOOOOOO! Thisisgettinggood!" Allen blurted out.

"Quiet man! The bug's getting riled up," Reyes snapped.

"I brought popcorn!" Jon piped up.

"Good I'll have some!" Brown announced.

"That's a complicated spell she's holding up, it'll seriously cripple her in this fight," Zatara muttered.

"Aren't you all…?" Damian turned to glare at Grayson.

"Never mind, we've all been waiting to see how this goes," Grayson muttered and pulled up a seat beside him. it was then that Damian noticed that pretty much all the Titans were here and they were all pressed to the glass, the Martian was even repelling the rain from the windows.

For a long moment neither Jason or Raven moved from their spots, Jason on the edge and Raven in the center, then Jason was a blur of movement as they heard the shots fired, and there was a burst of black energy which had Damian's eyes widening, Jason took the high ground, there was a loud explosion and more gunshots, then there were three large black ribbons of power flying at him. the smoke cleared and Raven was floating there, her cape thrown back and she looked like her name sake wrapped in shadows.

"He's laughing!" Supergirl whispered.

"That's normal," he and Zatara answered at the same time then glared at each other before looking at the fight again. Jason rolled on the glowing red, Raven's powers seemed to be forcing him to keep his distance but he had a knife drawn and thrown.

"Are they using real ammo!?" Drake whispered.

"Yes," Damian answered. Raven caught the knife with her telekinesis, Jason came at her fast, there was a swipe of her wrist before Jason was flying again.

"He's good," Victor said.

"Very," Drake and Grayson agreed as Jason twisted through the air, firing at Raven, Raven was shielded and then she sent her soul at him. Jason took the hit, but bounced off the barrier as he rolled on the circle and came up with swords drawn. Raven sent a wave of darkness, Jason slashed through it and he seemed intent on getting to Raven, but Raven kept him at bay.

For how long they watched they didn't know until suddenly there was no rain pouring when they were done.

"That was… interesting, learn anything?" Grayson asked.

"Yeah, Jason likes explosives," Drake answered.

* * *

 

Bruce had watched the entire fight from his room's window with Selina, and he was amazed that at the end of it, both Jason and Raven were standing there alive and breathing as they flew back to the Tower.

"That was impressive," Selina muttered.

He grunted because he had just felt searing terror for his child as his second son had gone toe to toe with a young demoness, and neither of them had seemed to hold back. Bruce hated seeing his children, any of them, in danger like that, it was enough to have his blood freezing.

Guns, knives, bullets, fine they were plenty prepared against those, but powers…?

Aliens and metas alike terrified Bruce because just how strong were they really? What was holding them back? Nothing, and if they chose to they could easily break one of his children. However, seeing the demon and his son's fight had not only terrified him but paralyzed him because oh shit if Raven lost it he didn't think there was a single being in the universe who could stop her.

"Relax Bruce, he's fine," Selina yawned.

"I worry," Bruce admitted, the rain was lightly falling as Raven and Jason landed on the Tower's island.

"You're his father, of course you worry," Selina replied as she stretched out on the bed. "But you're going to have to accept that he's able to take care of himself, and if the display is anything to go by, he's highly trained."

* * *

 

Raven walked out of the showers after her spar with Jason, sensing that he'd lost the edge of the Pit and most his residual frustrations, she'd called the match; which was a wise choice on her part because her focus had been breaking. Toweling her hair she was walking up to her room, she sensed Jason to be there, and sleeping fitfully if his emotions were something to go off.

"Hey Rae," she turned at Victor's voice.

"Yes?" she asked as they walked together.

"Come here," Victor dragged her into his room and locked the door before turning to loom over her.

"First, awesome spar but please tell me he didn't hurt you," Victor said.

"Not a single bullet," she promised. She'd had her shields up in full, though there were a few times he had gotten a bit too close for her comfort and with the Pit leading his actions he wouldn't know about those encounters.

"Good," Victor nodded. "And here, it uses my frequency, and I'm the only one who can trace it, just in case you know," he shrugged.

Raven looked at a normal looking iPhone and took it as she inspected it.

"It's programed to your number, and it's got Dick's and everyone's in there just in case, you know, he should want his family, but unless he calls them they aren't going to know about this phone, and even if he does call them they can't trace it, the phone generates random numbers on caller ID or just shows up as a blocked or unknown," Victor explained.

"Alright," Raven nodded.

"Kay, but Rae, I can't make it stick on him," Victor sighed.

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle that," she promised as she stuffed the phone in her pocket "Thank you Victor."

"No, I get it now, and… he's not bad. A complete pain in the ass but he's not bad," Victor shrugged.

"Thanks again Vic, and we'll go for a slice later," she promised.

"I need a fucking drink," he swore and she smiled as she walked out of his room and went for her room. Enchanting the phone required little work, she didn't even have to infuse that much magic in it, but she did need Jason to accept the phone.

Sighing she dumped her dirty uniform in the hamper before she walked to the bed where Jason was twisting, tossing and turning as he muttered incoherently and grumbled. She gingerly touched his shoulder, his eyes snapped open and stared at her, wide and unblinking, filled with fear as he slowly calmed on his own before he fell back on the bed with a curse.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she folded her legs and sat on her bed, patiently awaiting his answer.

"No," he said coldly.

"Do you want me to take it or do you want to talk about it?" Raven asked.

"No."

"Would you like me to leave?"

"No."

"Would you like me to talk?" she asked.

"Please."

"This is a cellphone, I'm giving it to you," she said as she produced it. "It's clean, untraceable, and it's got my number in it."

"I'm not…"

"Don't lie to me Jason, I know you're leaving," she said firmly which had him looking sheepish. "It's alright, I've been in your mind, I even understand it on some level because I've felt it myself. You don't have to explain it or justify it to me, Jason."

"Fuck," he muttered as he rubbed his hands over his face.

"You know why waffles are my favorite food?" she asked him and he looked at her with a confused look, but she was aiming to get his mind off his troubles and to prove she understood him too.

"I was about twelve when I escaped my father's dimension I stumbled out in an alley in New York City," she smiled. "First Earth city I ever saw and it was… it is the greatest city on the planet. I love it, if I ever leave the Titans that's where I'm going, New York City. But I had escaped, I was starved, drained, and half dead, I should have died, but… demon and this man, a crazy old guy named Marvin, found me.

"He was insane, but he saved me, I was new to earth, didn't speak a single earth language, and alone, my mother was dead, and my father is a devil. No one would want me, but Marvin took me under his wing. I was with him for the winter, I scrounged in the dumpsters, I was a thief, and I was half starved.

"Marvin and I collected, I don't even know how many aluminum cans, and we turned them in, we had enough money to get a hot real meal and escape the cold and there was this diner, open all the time, it's great, I visit there still, and they seated Marvin and I.

"Up to that point I had lived out of dumpsters, and I think my prized meal was a green pizza; after I got rid of the green part. So, we were sitting there in that diner, and I'm just learning English, and the waitress asked us what we were ordering.

"Marvin immediately says pancakes," she softened at that memory because it was lunch time and they weren't serving pancakes at the time. "And I was just staring at this delicious image of a waffle, I didn't know it at the time, but it was a waffle. Just looked divine, I pointed at that and the waitress said it was lunch time, she was changing menus.

"But Marvin was adamant about the pancakes and waffles, pulled a sob story about me being his granddaughter from a different country and how I had never had waffles. I still don't think the waitress bought that but she took our order.

"Waffles was the first meal since Azarath I received which was warm and untainted, and it was divine," Raven finished and Jason was relaxed.

"Chili dog," he said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was eight," he nodded.

"Still your favorite?" she asked.

"Yeah," he smiled a bit. "Still my favorite."

"I might not have been on the streets as long as you, but I was in Hell Jason, I get that you're not staying and I'm not even going to ask you to," she assured him. Which had him nodding.

"And I know you don't expect anyone to have your back or to ever pick you, I get it," she said softly. She was also the universes scape goat and she was never the girl anyone would pick, at least, she'd been that until the Titans had given her a family, and even then, it was hard to think they had her back when it felt like the world was stacked against her and going to destroy her for laughs.

"So I pick you," she said.

"What?" he blinked as he now looked at the phone.

"I pick you," she repeated slowly. "No matter what is going on, no matter how shitty the situation is, I pick you, I will come for you, I will be there for you. I know you don't believe me, and I understand, I do, but I pick you, Jason. All you have to do is call and I'll come there."

"Why?"

"Because I've been here, and sometimes just having one person pick you is enough. You're not nothing, you're my friend, and no matter what the situation is, I'll come for you. I don't care how bad it is, or if you just want a friend. I'll pick you," she promised and he just stared at her with a skeptical expression.

"Nice sentiments," he muttered.

"Not sentiments, Jason, I pick you," she stated.

"Uh-huh," he muttered.

"You're my friend, you're my friends' brother, and I understand why you're reluctant to trust them but try to trust me," she said and stood up then.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I have a feeling you're not one for goodbyes, so I will be going to Kori's room to indulge her desire to paint toenails and talk about her relationship with Dick, and this," she said as pulled an amulet from beside the book of Azarath which was returned to it's shelf with the Nevermore in it. "Will take you anywhere in the world you want to go."

"Why…" he started.

"I pick you Jason," she shrugged. "It's that simple, I hope we speak again soon. Keep the phone." She smiled a bit before she walked out of the room and took a slow breath.

He would leave, he wasn't the type to stay, and though she wished she could talk him into staying, she wasn't going to ask him to stay when he wasn't comfortable to stay. She understood him better than she wanted to and she wasn't going to let him down. Lightly Raven rapped Kori's door then and heard her friend.

"Yes?"

"Hey Kori," said.

"Raven!" Kori came flying out of the room and Raven found herself dragged into Kori's domain.

"You must help me! I do not know what to wear for Dick and I's date!" she said and Raven sat on the bed as she endured whirlwind of Kori as clothes were tossed around.

There was a sudden absence in the Tower then and Raven knew Jason was gone as she helped Kori settle on a simple white dress.

 


	27. A Wanted Man

**A Wanted Man…**

It'd been a week since Jason had 'escaped', he had gone through all the trouble of hacking the Tower's systems and appearing as if he'd disappeared without a trace; not that he'd slipped out passed her, but everyone thought he had.

"Raven, there's a package for you at the front gate," Dick informed her that morning as she walked to the kitchen. Raven paused and reluctantly went to the front gate through a portal.

"Hello?" Raven greeted the man.

"Are you one Raven Bird?" he asked.

"Yes…?" she said uncertainly as she accepted the clipboard.

"Good, one Mr. Peters was very insistent that we deliver it here, insisted that you'd know what to do with it," the delivery man said and Raven looked down when there was a large crate placed at her feet then. "Just sign."

Curiosity had her doing so and she handed the board back to the man.

"You need any help?"

"No, I will get it in," she assured as she created a portal and dropped it in her room. "Thank you."

"Oh, Mr. Peters asked that this be hand delivered to you upon arrival," he said as he handed her an envelope before clambering up into his van. She looked at the envelope and then at the beautifully calligraphy R with a small bird detailed in. She smiled then and opened another portal to her room as she landed beside the large box on her bed.

Slipping the envelope open she stared at his neat cursive and she laughed at the old fashion gesture. All reservations of who had written the letter were set aside then.

_Dear Little Bird,_

_It has come to my attention that the other demon spawn of the Titans and Bats has been promised a puppy on numerous occasions but no one has held up the promise. So, within the box is the promised puppy._

_Don't worry, I got the puppy today, and what your wonderful empathy cannot sense is that I'm watching._

Raven set aside the letter then and opened the box to find a large black puppy sleeping soundly, she softened a bit and touched the soft fur of the beast. Large, soulful puppy eyes looked up at her and she felt her lips quirking as she picked the letter back up.

_I have taken the liberty of naming the puppy in the box, Titus, seeing as how the bat brat is such a fan of history it seemed appropriate, if only to shut the little bastard up. Also, I'm pretty sure it will annoy the hell out of the Bats in the process._

_No matter, the puppy is for the demon spawn, and the lovely box is for you. If you do not mind going to your window when you put it on that would be appreciated._

She sighed as she picked up small jewelry box and shot a skeptical look out her window but opened it to find a silver pendant of a small bird and she smiled. Standing she indulged Jason's request as she stood at her window to slip it on and waited a beat before sitting on the bed to finish reading the letter.

_Thank You._

_Now, the baby bat is on the roof, so if you don't mind, would you take the puppy to him. Also, I've shipped all the materials needed for the puppy to Dick; beware there are a lot of things coming! This will be going on for the next month sunshine._

_I've still got the damn phone because I think you've enchanted it to return to my person. Seriously, I've tossed it like seven times and it's always back in my pocket; and that's cheating Queen. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, what if Bats' traces the phone!? I'm fucked! And as a Queen of Hell you should be more benevolent to your advisors, even if they get kicked out of Hell. Just saying._

_As always love, we'll chat soon._

_-J_

If Jason were looking in her window she didn't feel ashamed about what was coming next as she picked up a pen and paper and wrote her answer to the phone question.

**THE PHONE IS ENCHANTED, AND BATS' CANNOT TRACE IT. AS YOUR QUEEN OF HELL, I ORDER YOU TO KEEP THE PHONE, RED, OR I'LL TRACK YOU DOWN THE HARD WAY AND IT'LL HURT.**

She taped that to her window and picked up the puppy as she left her room. There was no shame in her response as she wrapped the cloak around the puppy and tracked Damian up to the roof and softened a bit. Walking up she stood on the ledge and looked at Damian who was staring out at the horizon.

"He got away," Damian muttered.

"He'll be back," she assured Damian. "Your father isn't leaving you, Damian, he said he had to run an errand."

"I meant Jason."

"Who ever said Jason left?" she asked with a slight smile as the warm puppy moved in her cloaked arms.

"He escaped the Tower last week," Damian pointed out.

"True," she agreed. "But," she dropped her cloak and Damian stared at the puppy now sleepily looking at him and she softened. "He's not gone."

"What…" Damian started.

"A gift from Jason, his name is Titus, and he's yours, the things will be being shipped to Dick over the month apparently," Raven said and Damian hesitantly took the puppy with too large paws and smiled slightly.

"Father…" Damian started.

"Titus is a gift, Damian," Raven said. "And should your father not approve, too bad." She shrugged and Damian smiled fully then as he hugged the puppy close. "But, you are required to train Titus, and house break him Damian, he's your responsibility and I do not want to hear you griping about cleaning up after the puppy. You will take care of the puppy."

"Of course…" Damian said.

"Good, consider the puppy big brother training, puppies are supposedly easier than babies," Raven said as she walked away. Damian just smiled as he held the puppy and Raven knew Jason had won best big brother of the year as she walked back to her room and dropped her cloak as she walked into her closet to change into her lazy day clothes and enjoy a book.

* * *

 

He was laughing at the note taped to her window as he released the rifle and shook his head. God that woman… standing up he pulled apart his weapon and slipped it into it's case before walking out back to the street level. He had an appointment with the realtor today, and he had a shitty Nova to pick up to work on, also he had to talk to Constantine about shipping his Charger back State side. It was a wee bit too conspicuous over there to have a Charger.

Red X was burned. But that was alright as he slipped through the crowd. He was thinking of being Red Hood on a permanent basis now. Especially since the Bats were very aware of his living status. It would be fun and irritate the hell out of Bruce.

Pulling a cigarette he glance back at the Tower, and softened. It was for the best he left, he wasn't meant to be on a team.

The phone in his pocket buzzed and reluctantly he pulled it out as he looked at the screen, Raven, Damian and Titus were in the picture, his neckless on Raven's neck and Titus' red collar standing out, and Damian's clear joy in a scowl were all there. Suddenly there was another buzz at the incoming photo and he laughed at the sight of a startled Dick, excited Stephanie, and an annoyed Tim as a puppy raced into the living room with Damian a step behind.

_-Thank you Red, and you're not getting rid of the phone._

_-You don't have to answer the texts or the emails or the calls, but if you should change your mind it's best you have it now rather than later._

_-Thank you again, R_

He softened slightly and slipped the phone in his pocket and looked up as he turned the corner, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he looked around for what was agitating him. There was nothing.

Frowning a bit he looked up at the realtor, a blonde woman with a bright smile.

"Sharon?" he asked.

"Yes," she smiled a bit too bright for his tastes but he smiled politely back.

"Mr. Red, I'm here about the condo," he said.

"Right! I've been waiting on you most the day," she chippered away and he just quietly inspected the home as he thought about the lay out and what he'd need here. It would be easy to turn it into a safe house, sliding open a window he saw he had a good view of the Tower and he paused a moment as he thought it over.

"I'll take it, I can pay full, up front, now," he said as he turned to her.

"But you haven't even seen the…" she started.

"I don't need to, I'll take it."

* * *

 

"Waller, we've found him," a voice spoke on com.

"Good, that's very good, quietly surveil," she ordered as she shut off the com and looked at the screens od footage of the Red Hood mowing down the Assassins in an old surveillance footage; she'd wanted him for years, and yet he was good at hiding. He would make an excellent asset for her projects, especially since he was already 'dead'.

But she was certain no child of Bruce's, adopted or otherwise, would ever come easy. And as the Red Hood, or rather, Jason Todd, had shown, he was highly trained and very dangerous. Capturing him would require extreme caution and planning. For now though, she would surveil him.

Besides, she thought as she looked at the other screens of surveillance on his family, he could be exploited. All she had to do was capture them if needed. And it was a very good thing she had a squad of her own for such a purpose.

Waller smiled and looked at the blurred image of Jason Todd, let the games begin Red Hood. She would be victorious, and she would get him in the end.

After all, she got people to go against their own self-interests for a living. Exploiting Todd would be like a cat eating a caged canary, and she would savor the morsel. Especially since she'd finally have one of Bruce Wayne's precious children. The ideal soldier.

* * *

 

Talia stared at the Tower as she released a shuddering breath when she felt him beside her.

"Hello beloved," she said as she looked over at the hard lines of Bruce Wayne.

"What are you doing here Talia?" he asked coldly.

"Can a mother not check in on her child?" she asked as she looked back at the Tower where she knew Damian was, with that demon.

"No, he's mine," Bruce growled.

"Now beloved, I believe it takes two to make a child, last I checked, and I have the stretch marks to prove he's mine as well," she murmured as she pressed up against Bruce. He wasn't Selina's, not completely, his first child was hers, and she'd always have that over the street rat thief.

"He is no longer yours, and if you should dare to come after him remember that you not only have my family to contend with but also the Titans," Bruce said and pushed her off him. "And if you should go after Jason I will come after you, Talia. You kept my child from me, and did God knows what to him, go after him and I'll come after you."

"I assure you I never harmed Jason, he quite enjoyed the training he received," she said artfully.

"This is the only warning you will receive Talia," her beloved warned.

"Very well, but remember this, beloved, I gave you your perfect son, that whore will never compete, and Jason's not anyone's son as he claims," she murmured and walked off into the street. This was not over.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reviews, support and patience folks!  
> I hope you've enjoyed Give Me Back My Mind! =)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> New here, trying something new out.  
> This is also available on my:  
> -fanfiction  
> -Wattpad  
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> -tumblr  
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> Enjoy! =)


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